On the evolution of business

The document asserts that the increasing economic and ecological footprint of corporations necessitates a shift toward a 'People – Planet – Profit' model. The author describes a three-stage evolution of sustainability—moving from compliance in the 1970s-80s to Corporate Social Responsibility in the 1990s-00s, and finally to sustainability as a primary business driver. Using Royal DSM's partnership with the UN World Food Programme as an example, the text illustrates how addressing societal challenges, such as micronutrient deficiencies, can simultaneously drive business growth, innovation, and employee engagement. The author concludes that companies must be transparent about their impacts and provide solutions to mega-trends in climate change, energy, and resources to remain viable.

• The author identifies a three-stage evolution of sustainability in business: compliance during the 1970s and 1980s, Corporate Social Responsibility during the 1990s and 2000s, and the current stage where sustainability acts as a business driver integrated into all activities.
• Public-private partnerships, such as the one between Royal DSM and the UN World Food Programme to combat micronutrient deficiencies, demonstrate that serving the 'bottom of the pyramid' can lead to business growth, new product innovation, and improved government relations.
• Long-term corporate survival is dependent on the ability to provide solutions to global challenges regarding climate change, energy, resources, and health.
• Businesses are urged to adopt a 'People, Planet and Profit' framework and increase transparency regarding their environmental and societal impacts.

APA

Sijbesma, F. (2012). On the evolution of business. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/economic-growth/on-the-evolution-of-business/

Chicago

Sijbesma, Feike. On the evolution of business. World Economic Forum, 2012. https://www.weforum.org/stories/economic-growth/on-the-evolution-of-business/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Sijbesma |first1=Feike |title=On the evolution of business |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=13 September 2012 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/economic-growth/on-the-evolution-of-business/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{sijbesma2012evolution, author = {Sijbesma, Feike}, title = {{On the evolution of business}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2012}, month = sep, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/economic-growth/on-the-evolution-of-business/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }