Sustainable Development Considerations for U.S. Companies Originally published September 2004

By Christopher P. Davis and Aladdine D. Joroff

Companies are increasingly facing the difficult decision of whether and how to incorporate sustainable development into their business practices. Ever since the concept of sustainable development was promoted by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987, public interest groups, investors and regulators have been placing mounting pressure on companies to adopt sustainable development initiatives and to report the presence or absence of such actions. Largely because of a combination of stakeholder pressures, anticipated cost savings, competitive advantages and improved public relations, a growing number of businesses are adopting, implementing and reporting on the social, environmental and economic aspects of sustainable development.