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The triple bottom line or the three P’s

In this section we will be looking at the 3Ps; People, Planet, and Profit of sustainability.

The 3Ps of sustainability are a well-known and accepted business concept. The Ps refer to People, Planet, and Profit, also often referred to as the triple bottom line.

Sustainability has the role of protecting and maximising the benefit of the 3Ps. Green programs take care of people. They acknowledge the planet’s needs by respecting its valuable resources, and they aim to produce profit without waste.

The triple bottom line (TBL) is the idea that companies prepare three separate bottom line measurements. The TBL is a version of the balanced scorecard approach, and ultimately what a company measures is most likely to get the most attention. However, companies rarely measure the social and environmental impact of their business.

What this highlights is that the relation between business and green mindset, in order to reach and maintain realisation, may not be as straightforward as we expect it to be.

The articles below introduce a few other 3P models that may be of interest.

Activity

Based on concepts of TBL, reflect on whether you think businesses are really engaged in achieving sustainable practices, or rather is it economic growth that is still the ‘main game’ of businesses, governments and investors?

Post your thoughts in the Comments area below.