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Factor four : doubling wealth - halving resource use

About: The article was published on 2001-01-01 and is currently open access. It has received 649 citations till now.
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss how the concept of sustainable development has evolved over the past three decades and particularly how it can be applied to the business level and describe the three types of capital relevant within the corporate sustainability: economic, natural and social capital.
Abstract: The article is intended as a contribution to the ongoing conceptual development of corporate sustainability. At the business level sustainability is often equated with eco-efficiency. However, such a reduction misses several important criteria that firms have to satisfy if they want to become truly sustainable. This article discusses how the concept of sustainable development has evolved over the past three decades and particularly how it can be applied to the business level. It then goes on to describe the three types of capital relevant within the concept of corporate sustainability: economic, natural and social capital. From this basis we shall then develop the six criteria managers aiming for corporate sustainability will have to satisfy: eco-efficiency, socio-efficiency, eco-effectiveness, socio-effectiveness, sufficiency and ecological equity. The article ends with a brief outlook towards future research. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment

3,136 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Gregory C. Unruh1
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that industrial economies have been locked into fossil fuel-based energy systems through a process of technological and institutional co-evolution driven by path-dependent increasing returns to scale.

2,424 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a classification and mapping of different trends of thought on sustainable development, their political and policy frameworks and their attitudes towards change and means of change is presented, focusing on sustainable livelihoods and well-being rather than well-having.
Abstract: Sustainable development, although a widely used phrase and idea, has many different meanings and therefore provokes many different responses. In broad terms, the concept of sustainable development is an attempt to combine growing concerns about a range of environmental issues with socio-economic issues. To aid understanding of these different policies this paper presents a classification and mapping of different trends of thought on sustainable development, their political and policy frameworks and their attitudes towards change and means of change. Sustainable development has the potential to address fundamental challenges for humanity, now and into the future. However, to do this, it needs more clarity of meaning, concentrating on sustainable livelihoods and well-being rather than well-having, and long term environmental sustainability, which requires a strong basis in principles that link the social and environmental to human equity. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

1,906 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the theory and practice of sustainable development in the context of three criticisms (it is vague, attracts hypocrites and fosters delusions), and argue for an approach to sustainability that is integrative, is action-oriented, goes beyond technical fixes, incorporates a recognition of the social construction of sustainable Development, and engages local communities in new ways.

1,312 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a collective effort of scientists who have pioneered some of these tools and approaches and document essential elements for developing sustainability and how these elements relate to the application of the respective tools.

866 citations