Assessing the sustainability performances of industries

Business sustainability entails the incorporation of the objectives of sustainable development, namely social equity, economic efficiency and environmental performance, into a company's operational practices. Companies that compete globally are increasingly required to commit to and report on the overall sustainability performances of operational initiatives. The current indicator frameworks that are available to measure overall business sustainability do not effectively address all aspects of sustainability at operational level, especially in developing countries such as South Africa. Social criteria, specifically, do not receive due considerations. This article proposes a new framework to assess the sustainability of operations in the manufacturing sector. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.