Chapter 7: Sustainability Marketing – The Social Perspective

After reading this chapter, you will be able to:

The most quoted definition of ‘sustainable development’ from ‘Our Common Future’, also known as the Brundtland Report, was published in 1987. The transformation of firms towards responsible and sustainable business is a long-term process, and the push is necessary to reach the necessary tipping points in business action, policy response and public opinion. The major fact is large companies are constantly re-articulating their certifiable standards, codes of conduct, industry initiatives, corporate programmes, triple-bottom-line documentaries and reports about sustainability. Yet, global challenges are still present such as water depletion, climate change, biodiversity loss, income inequality corruption/bribery among many others. The word ‘sustainability’ can mean differently to a number of different communities. The systems related to sustainability may be varied and their applications are too complex. Many researchers have tried to associate corporations' responsible behaviours with sustainability. However, the corporate sustainability was also connected to a comprehensive system comprising of ecological, social and economic systems. Where the economy is part of the society, these pillars are well interconnected with one another, which is part of the sustainability system.