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Sustainable Business Cases

If you would like to use this book offline, you may download a copy of the full book as a PDF (40 MB, suitable for printing or most e-readers), or a .zip file containing these HTML files (for use in a web browser offline). Individual chapter PDFs are available below.

Table of Contents

• About the Authors (download PDF: 918 KB)

• Acknowledgments (download PDF: 39 KB)

• Dedication (download PDF: 35 KB)

• Preface (download PDF: 52 KB)

• Chapter 1: Introduction to Sustainable Business and Sustainable Business Core Concepts and Frameworks (download PDF: 5 MB)

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Introduction
  • Overview of Sustainable Business
  • What Does It Mean to Be a Sustainable Business?
  • What Is Required for a Sustainability Perspective?
  • The Business Case for Sustainability
  • A Strategic Approach to Sustainable Business Practice

• Chapter 2: The Science of Sustainability (download PDF: 5 MB)

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Sustainability Economics
  • Life and Climate System of Earth
  • Human Activity Impacts on Ecosystems
  • In-Depth Discussion of Sustainability Topics

• Chapter 3: Government, Public Policy, and Sustainable Business (download PDF: 4 MB)

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Factors That Influence Public Policy
  • Business and Government Relations: How Do Government and Business Interact?
  • Market Failures and the Role of Public Policy
  • Public Policy Features and Examples
  • Environmental and Energy Policies

• Chapter 4: Accountability for Sustainability (download PDF: 5 MB)

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Sustainability Reporting
  • Sustainability Reporting Process
  • Sustainability Reporting Guidelines and Frameworks
  • Certification
  • Life Cycle Management and Sustainability
  • Conclusion

• Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Sustainable Business (download PDF: 3 MB)

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Overview of Entrepreneurship
  • The Keys to Successful Sustainability Entrepreneurship
  • Innovation and Sustainability
  • Conclusion

• Chapter 6: Sustainable Business Marketing (download PDF: 4 MB)

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Green Marketing Strategy and the Four P’s of Marketing
  • Market Barriers to Sustainability Products
  • Business Risks of Sustainability Marketing
  • Keys to Marketing a Sustainable Brand

• Chapter 7: Case: Sustainable Business Entrepreneurship: Simply Green Biofuels (download PDF: 1 MB)

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Biodiesel
  • The Challenges and Overcoming Them
  • Getting the Business Off the Ground
  • The Keys to Success
  • Why No Profits?
  • Limits of Always Focusing on Doing the Right Thing
  • Conclusion
  • Appendix: Simply Green Timeline

• Chapter 8: Case: Marketing Sustainability: Seventh Generation Creating a Green Household Consumer Product (download PDF: 1 MB)

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Introduction
  • Marketing Focus on the Triple Bottom Line: People, Planet, and Profit
  • Taking Seventh Generation to the Next Level: The Challenge Ahead

• Chapter 9: Case: Brewing a Better World: Sustainable Supply Chain Management at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.(download PDF: 3 MB)

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Green Mountain’s Sustainable Business Model
  • The Coffee Industry’s Supply Chain
  • Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.
  • Going Forward

• Chapter 10: Case: Oakhurst Dairy: Operations Management and Sustainability (download PDF: 5 MB)

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Overview
  • Introduction
  • Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) and the US Dairy Industry
  • Oakhurst: Improving Business Value through Sustainable Practice
  • Going Forward: Opportunities and Challenges

• Chapter 11: Case: Accounting for Sustainability: How Does Timberland Do It and Why? (download PDF: 566 KB)

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Sustainability Reporting at Timberland
  • Business Value of Sustainability Reporting
  • Looking Forward: New Corporate Parent and New Corporate Social Responsibility Leader

• Chapter 12: Case: Sustainable Investing: Pax World Helping Investors Change the World (download PDF: 530 KB)

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Introduction to Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)
  • Pax World
  • Pax World’s Approach to Investing
  • Pax World Looking Forward

• Chapter 13: Case: Strategic Mission–Driven Sustainable Business: Stonyfield Yogurt (download PDF: 2 MB)

  • Chapter Introduction
  • Introduction
  • Stonyfield Farm: A Sustainability-Focused Start-Up
  • Stonyfield’s Social Mission
  • Organics and Natural Foods Industry
  • Stonyfield’s Strategy and Execution
  • Moving On
  • Conclusion