The new sustainability

More companies aim to be socially responsible as they profit

It wasn't that long ago that a sustainable business was one that simply turned a profit year after year. But that's before sustainable became its own buzzword. A company that wants to be sustainable today is a business that makes money without fouling the environment or upending people's lives.

From board rooms to business schools, it's an idea that is gaining momentum.

"Ten years ago, there were a few people scattered around the country who talked about this," said Rich Leimsider, director of the Center for Business Education in New York. "But today, the idea has established at least a beachhead at just about every business school you would recognize by name."

Leimsider oversees a national ranking, Beyond Grey Pinstripes, that looks at the amount of time business schools dedicate to social and environmental issues.

Since 2001, according to the survey, the number of schools requiring at least one course dedicated to business and society has doubled to more than 60 percent. At the same time, the number of companies looking for graduates who understand the issue are steadily increasing.

A recent Sustainable Enterprise Career Fair at UNC-Chapel Hill, for example, attracted 138 students and 26 companies. Three years ago, less than 50 students met with 20 companies.

Interest is driven by several factors, Leimsider said.

One is a noticeable increase in the number of executives who see a link between better environmental practices, social issues and bigger profits.

"I'm not sure the recruiters of these companies really see it that way yet," Leimsider said, "but the senior leaders of companies are very much interested."

At the same time, business school faculty is embracing the idea on dozens of campuses throughout the country. And MBA students have made it clear they want more.

"A lot of students want to be part of a big company and earn a big-company paycheck, but they also want to take the moral high ground," Leimsider said. "This gives them that option."

Mike Waters, who expects to graduate this year from Kenan-Flagler at UNC-CH, understands that thinking.

An MBA candidate and chemical engineer who received a bachelor's degree in 1997 from Georgia Tech, Waters worked nine years with Corning in Wilmington. He liked the company, but he wants to move away from chemical engineering and into management while staying in North Carolina. He specifically wants a job that incorporates sustainability.

"I think a lot of companies will need to drastically change not only their practices, but the people they hire to meet new environmental and social challenges," he said. "And I want a job I can feel good about."

Those who work with companies that are rethinking the path to profit say it's important to understand there is not a set standard that sustainable businesses are expected to meet.

"We can't afford to be purists about this," said Katy Ansardi, president of Sustainable North Carolina, a nonprofit group that brings businesses together to encourage sustainable growth. "There isn't a checklist that makes you sustainable or not sustainable. It's a process, and we all have a long way to go."

Making up for lost time

The change is gradual for most companies, but it is possible to make significant improvements in a small amount of time, said Tim Bannister, president of Cary Printing.

Bannister said he had only a vague idea about sustainability until roughly 18 months ago. He had been making changes at his company of about 60 people "mostly in anticipation of regulations that were coming anyway."