The concept of sustainable development has arisen because of concern about the environmental, economic and social issues facing humanity. To protect the environment, sustainable development addresses accelerating global population growth, depletion of non-renewable resources, over exploitation of renewable resources, the generation of waste and pollution, and the need to improve living standards in the developing world.
For modern manufacturing companies who are engaged with the corporate social responsibility agenda, sustainable development means balancing activities and economic growth with the effects that can have on the environment and the wider community, both now and in the future.
For business, environmental responsibility is a requirement. To achieve sustainable development, UK businesses need to balance their activities and economic growth with the effect it can have on the environment and the wider community, both now and in the future. It is extremely important that a company’s sustainable development strategy has a clear focus and demonstrable outcomes.