Triple Bottom Line

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What is the Triple Bottom Line?

Triple Bottom Line (TBL) is a term coined in 1994 by John Elkington. TBL is used to indicate that the performance of companies should not only be reported and judged on purely financial considerations, but also on Environmental Responsibility and Social Responsibility.

The 3 Bottom lines: People, Planet and Profit

• People (Human Capital) pertains to fair and beneficial business practices toward labor and the community and region in which a corporation conducts its business.

• Planet (Natural Capital) refers to sustainable environmental practices. A TBL company endeavors to benefit the natural order as much as possible or at the least do no harm and curtail environmental impact.

• Profit (Financial Capital) is the bottom line shared by all commerce, conscientious or not. In the original concept, within a sustainability framework, the "profit" aspect needs to be seen as the economic benefit enjoyed by the host society. It is the lasting economic impact the organization has on its economic environment. This is often confused to be limited to the internal profit made by a company or organization. Therefore, a TBL approach cannot be interpreted as traditional corporate accounting plus social and environmental impact.

The concept of TBL demands that a company's responsibility should be to all Stakeholders rather than only to the Shareholders.

Forum Forum about the Triple Bottom Line. 🔥 Guidelines for Triple Bottom Line Reporting: the Global Reporting Initiative One of the mechanisms that encourages businesses and corporations to develop in a sustainable way is the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), consisting of guidelines for Triple Bottom Line reporting. T... 7   5 comments TBL Reporting Methodology To a certain extent, quantification brings in accountability. What is the methodology to account for "People & Planet" headings?... 1   Examples of Triple Bottom Line Reporting Is there any known company that reports its TBL performance? To a certain extent, quantification brings in accountability.... 1   Start a new topic about the Triple Bottom Line Sign up for free

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Expert Tips Advanced insights about the Triple Bottom Line. Here you will find professional advices by experts. Consultancy Tips Teaching Tips Practical Implementation Tips 4 Levers to Pursue a Dual Corporate Purpose CSR, Impact on Society, Balancing Financial and Social Goals, Dual Purpose These is a slow but steadily increasing trend for corporations to diminish their single-minded pursuit of shareholder va... How to Incorporate Sustainability into the Balanced Scorecard? Sustainability Balanced Scorecard, SBSC, Triple Bottom Line Due to the fact that corporate sustainability issues have become more and more important, organizations are now forced t... How to Design a Large CSR Program that Works CSR, Shared Value, Public-Private Partnerships, Poverty Reduction, Combating Global Inequality A study by Kaplan, Serafeim & Tugendhat (2018) finds that most corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs they analy... Reasons Why People are Doing Voluntary Work Expectancy Theory, Corporate Social Responsibility, Stakeholder Perspective, Volunteers Voluntary work has long been seen as an activity performed mainly by unemployed individuals –mostly women, both in their...

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