John Elkington on the Evolution of Sustainability and the Triple Bottom Line

They talk about John’s most recent book, Tickling Sharks, and discuss the evolution of sustainability over the past 50 years. John talks about the role of the Chief Sustainability Officer and the future of economic markets.

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He shares his insights on the triple bottom line framework, a concept that he created in 1994 to define the necessary integration across social, environmental, and economic dimensions. Finally, he emphasises the importance of self-care for sustainability leaders, asking questions rather than providing answers, and getting out of comfort zones to experience the real world.

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Takeaways

• The triple bottom line framework, which considers social, environmental, and economic dimensions, is essential for integrating sustainability into business strategies.
• The future of sustainability requires exponential solutions to exponential challenges, and the exponential mindset can offer valuable insights.
• Sustainability leaders should prioritise self-care, ask questions, and challenge people to step out of their comfort zones to drive meaningful change.
• The next five to fifteen years will be crucial for addressing climate change and other sustainability issues, and there is an opportunity for positive and unexpected breakthroughs.

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