Sustainable Management.docx

Sustainable management is the intersection of business and sustainability. It is the practice of managing a firm’s impact on the three bottom lines—people, planet, and profit—so that all three can prosper in the future. Sustainable management supports a business’s long-term viability, because it’s preventative rather than reactive. It can take many forms including investing in fair-trade products, reducing packaging materials, and ensuring humane working conditions at supplier factories. A growing number of organizations from a wide range of industries (e.g. retail, food and beverage, agriculture, tech, insurance, automotive, military, healthcare, utility, and more) are pursuing sustainable management business goals. Because the organizations most often noted for their sustainable efforts are top global corporations, it’s easy to forget that smaller and more local companies are also focused on sustainability. Wisconsinbased companies such as American Family Insurance, Kohler, GE Healthcare, Oshkosh Corporation, Johnson Controls, Kohl’s Corporation, and Lands’ End have staff who support and contribute to sustainability goals that positively affect communities and the planet.