Sustainability Financial Sustainability Imagine work a business consultant. Companies governmental entities hire firm make recommendations streamlining business operations, make companies fiscally sound. You asked supervisor present a local business conference subject financial sustainability

Financial sustainability: Mathematical models

Sustainability is one of the top 'buzzwords' today in terms of marketing products, but what does it actually mean? One definition of sustainability provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is that "everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations" (What is sustainability, 2012, EPA). Sustainability requires a long-term focus by the individual and corporate entities, but in the interests of making a quick profit, sustainability is often put on the shelf. Consumers gravitate to blue-chip companies to invest in that are not necessarily sustainable; corporations believe that more expensive green products will not sell and emphasize cheapness and...

Driving more fuel-efficient cars saves money on gas; decreasing meat consumption results in a healthier lifestyle and a lower carbon footprint. Investing in companies that have made a commitment to green technology and simply reusing and recycling can all improve the consumer's finances as well as help the environment. Investments in green companies encourage consumers to invest in the future, not in mature companies where the market has already been maximized in terms of its potential.
However, "cases for carbon reduction and improved sustainability must be equated with economic opportunity -- meaning energy savings, cost/revenue dollars, brand, risk management" (CFOs seek boldness and shareholder value in sustainability, 2012, Environmental Leader). Corporations must understand that they can successfully integrate sustainability into their models of profitability. For-profit companies are not altruistic and must be shown that environmentalism can generate revenue for shareholders. This may require management to be cognizant of the trade-off between the short-term and the long-term. In the…