Triple Bottom Line

Rodica Milena Zaharia () and Razvan Zaharia
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Rodica Milena Zaharia: Bucharest University of Economic Studies

A chapter in The Palgrave Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility, 2021, pp 75-101 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The triple bottom line (TBL or 3BL) is one of the most used concepts when it comes to discuss about sustainability. It was coined by John Elkington in 1994 and from that moment it grabs the attention of all of those interested to provide analysis about sustainability, at macro- and microlevel, or for those concerned about the challenges towards the way the world is developing or is governing. This chapter provides a navigation on the literature that deals with the TBL, pointing out the context of the historic development of the concept and the relationship with the concept of sustainability with which is considered synonym. Also, the limits of the concept are presented. The second aspect discussed is the relationship between TBL and the codes of conducts. As TBL was defined by its creator as “a sustainability framework that examines a company’s social, environment, and economic impact,” codes of conduct are still the most important documents through which companies expose their commitment towards sustainability. A brief history of codes of conduct evolution, which is, in a way, a reflection of the TBL evolution, is provided. The reporting function of the codes of conduct and limits of the reporting activity are provided throughout this part. TBL as a sustainable business model is ending this navigation through the literature devoted to this generous topic. The literature written on this topic is huge and impossible to be covered in only one body of work. The expansion of the TBL concept is exponential. Some of the future developments of the TBL are presented in the end. The chapter ends with some key literature that reflects the issues discussed.

Keywords: Codes of Conduct; Sustainability; Sustainable Businesses Model; Triple Bottom Line (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-42465-7_2

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