Business Sustainability: Performance, Compliance, Accountability and Integrated Reporting by Zabihollah Rezaee, Greenleaf Publishing, UK, 2015
Review by Rosalinda Sanquiche
Business Sustainability by Zabihollah Rezaee attempts a comprehensive look at sustainability issues from a business perspective that is part philosophy, part MBA course and part instruction manual. Its greatest asset is the systems-wide approach to defining and implementing sustainability. Rezaee widens the lens from triple-bottom line to multiple bottom line, from ESG (environment, social, governance) to EGSEE (economic, governance, social, ethical and environmental) considerations.
I’m particularly heartened to see attention paid to the ethical ramifications of sustainability. Whether ethical practices are implemented specifically or a side effect of long-term economic value, for example from branding, improved efficiency or increased productivity, it is important to respect ethics as a factor in sustainability.
This book can be read for the theories behind business sustainability, for an introduction to the application of sustainability and the many organizations already well-involved with this work, or for the action suggestions which will serve CSOs (chief sustainability officers) well. It can be especially useful to those drawn from other business tracks such as marketing or operations who are not as entrenched in the systemic view needed and practiced by those of us who have come up through the growing ranks of sustainability professionals.
Readers can enjoy a 20% discount on Business Sustainability by using the code EthMar20 on Greenleaf Publishing’s website (http://bit.ly/1Otd37x)