Handbook of Sustainability Management

Book excerpt: Sustainability is about the effective management of nonrenewable and nonreplenishable natural resources. These resources are limited and critical to maintaining ecological balance. A collective effort is required to balance our socio-economic needs with environmental needs. This could be achieved by re-evaluating policies and actions as to how they affect the environment. Sustainability requires changes in traditional practices of doing things and refocusing ourselves to the needs of the earth. This handbook explores the role of sustainability in achieving social development, environmental protection, and economic development. These three areas constitute what is referred to as the triple bottom line (TBL). Sustainability management may help organizations and their global supply networks to re-evaluate their policies, processes, programs, and projects in terms of triple bottom line. Sustainability helps to facilitate planning, implementing, reviewing, and improving an organization's actions and operations to meet ecological goals.