Ever wondered how running an ethical business fits with building a world that works for everyone? You’ve probably heard about the three pillars of sustainability from that 1987 Brundtland Commission report “Our Common Future.” They talk about balancing environmental integrity, social equity, and economic viability – making sure we’re not just chasing profits at any cost.
John Elkington took this further in 1994 with his triple bottom line idea. Instead of just counting money, businesses should measure their impact on “people, planet, profit” – a much broader view of what success really means.
What fascinates me is how these modern business concepts match up with what Quakers have believed for centuries. Our testimony of simplicity naturally leads us to use resources carefully – that’s environmental sustainability in action. When we follow our testimony of equality, we’re addressing the social pillar and putting “people” at the heart of business. And our commitment to integrity and justice means we think about economic practices that benefit everyone for the long haul – a much more ethical take on “profit.”
Have a look around our website to see how Quakers and business are living these principles day to day. Our values have been pointing toward a fairer, more sustainable economy for generations – we just didn’t have fancy terms for it back then!
