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The Triple Bottom Line

Measuring Your Organization's Wider Impact

Imagine going to work everyday for a company that you are truly excited about, and proud to be a part of. Sure, the pay is decent and there's a company crèche, but those aren't the only reasons why you love working there. You're proud to be a part of this company because they're honorable.

They stand out from the typical "cut-throat" business world by the way they treat suppliers, their commitment to environmental sustainability, and their desire to empower and promote their team members instead of dragging them down. There is a constant air of excitement and possibility at the office, and you love coming to work everyday.

Sounds pretty amazing, right? Well, a company like this isn't just a fantasy anymore. And one approach to building this type of company like this, and monitoring what it does, is to use "the triple bottom line".

What is the Triple Bottom Line?

The triple bottom line was first fully explained by John Elkington in his 1997 book "Cannibals With Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business". It's a bottom line that continues to measure profits, but also measures the organization's impact on people and on the planet. The triple bottom line is a way of expressing a company's impact and sustainability on both a local and a global scale.

The concept behind the triple bottom line is that companies are responsible first and foremost to all their stakeholders, and these include everyone that is involved with the company whether directly or indirectly, as well as the planet we're all living on. This approach sees shareholders as part of the stakeholder group, but only as part of it.

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