Building and maintaining sustainable organizations

As our planet's resources and carrying capacity have become exponentially strained in the last century of vast industrialism, it will be imperative for the corporations that currently determine the flow of global economic resources to advance into a position of sustainable post-industrial prosperity. It is essential that firms create and maintain synergistic relations with the biosphere, key stakeholders, and the global community. There have been many great strides in the last decade to expand environmental and social considerations in business and a path toward a sustainable future has been initiated. Today the corporation must go beyond pollution prevention and product stewardship toward a holistic and proactive model of management in a network of mutually beneficial relationships with the Earth and communities. Significant challenges remain with respect to large system changes and creating a new set of norms that are widely accepted by organizations worldwide.