Sustainable Development: The Next Generation of Business Opportunity

Companies increasingly are recognizing the business value of sustainable development, according to a new study by Arthur D. Little. Its study of nearly 500 EHS and business leaders in North America and Europe found the overwhelming majority, 95%, think sustainable development is important, with 82% believing it offers business value. ADL said it found “surprisingly little ‘out of the box’ thinking evident in current practice on sustainable development.” Even companies most advanced in their pursuit of that goal “are busiest in traditional environmental areas for action: pollution prevention, environmental auditing, and energy efficiency are by far the most popular ways of supporting sustainable development,” says ADL.