The 'Sustainability' Phenomenon

Use of the term 'sustainability' has increased dramatically over the past few decades in both popular and official discourse. Its prime association is with environmentalism but it is also deployed in relation to economic, social and political spheres. Moreover 'sustainability' carries with it a pronounced scientific flavour, specifically in relation to ecology. It is also associated with powerful ethical imperatives.While the terminolgy of sustainability has broad and diverse appli cations it is most heavily used with respect to corporate responsibilities, particularly corporate environmental responsibilities but also corporate social responsibility, corporate business responsibility and even corporate governance. It is important, therefore, to explore what we call the 'sustainabilty phenomenon' if we are to adequately understand and evaluate the developing parameters of corporate responsibilities.