A Brief History of Corporate Sustainability: A Conversation with John Elkington

In a conversation with Uwe Schulte, John Elkington, a renowned authority on corporate sustainability, reflects on the evolution of sustainability in business from the 1970s to the present. Elkington discusses key milestones, such as Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” and the establishment of Earth Day, which catalysed the environmental movement. He emphasizes the shift in corporate attitudes from reactive measures to proactive engagement with NGOs and the integration of sustainability into business strategies. Elkington introduces concepts like the triple bottom line and his recent book, “Green Swans”, which explores transformative, positive changes in sustainability. He highlights the need for systemic change and the potential impact of crises like COVID-19 on accelerating sustainability agendas. Elkington also explains his provocative “recall” of the triple bottom line to refocus on broader systemic sustainability rather than incremental corporate responsibility and discusses the importance of resilience and innovation in facing future challenges.