The Sustainability Triangle
A closer look at the Triple‐E model
www.trinity‐planning.be

The triple bottom line
Is a business phylosophy:
With the help of vision and crea@ve thinking,
economic, ecologic and societal objec@ves can be
accelera@ng synergies and deliver posi@ve and
durable growth.

People Planet
Sustainability
Profit

Sustainability
Is oCen thought of in
terms of eco‐
efficiency

Efficiency
Is “doing the thing
right”, and has oCen
to do with ‘less’

less pollu@on | less energy | less
resources | less raw materials | less
transport | less fuel | less packaging |
less waste | less emissions…
less fundamental change …
Doing less bad…

But think a while about
‘a cherry tree’

‘a cherry tree’ is a
wasteful thing

Effectiveness
Is based on abundance,
interdependence and diversity
Lots of waste | lots of flowers | lot of water consump@on |
lot of cherry consumers | lot of fruit produc@on | lot of
oxygen | lots of beauty | lots of growth | lot of
interdependence with other species | lots of posi@ve
exchange with its environment…

Effectiveness
Is based on
• More, not less
• ‘doing good’ (not on doing less bad)
• ‘doing the right thing’
• abundance, interdependence, diversity and
local opportuni@es

Thousands The
of other biosphere
organisms
Effectiveness
The
cherry-
tree

This presenta@on is based
on effec@veness.
On doing good
On doing the right thing.

The triple‐E model is a tool ( a Q‐and‐A
list) to discover opportuni@es to make
business more effec@ve with society
and the environment
Source: Cradle‐to‐Cradle: Michael Braungart & William Mc Donough

There is Capitalism

There is Socialism

And there is environmentalism

Ecologism
what
we talk
about here is
none of these –isms,
but what’s right in the middle
Socialism Capitalism

The triple‐E model is a tool ( a Q‐and‐A
list) to discover opportuni@es to make
business more effec@ve with society
and the environment
Source: Cradle‐to‐Cradle: Michael Braungart & William Mc Donough

Ecology
posi@ve and
sustainable
growth
Equity Economy

Ecology
1
Equity Economy

1. Can we make it,
and sell it at a profit?
Economy/Economy

Ecology
2
Equity Economy

2. Are our employees earning a
living wage?
Economy/Equity

Ecology
3
Equity Economy

3. Are men and women paid equal
for the same work?
Equity/ Economy

Ecology
4
Equity Economy

4. Are people trea@ng one another
with respect?
Equity/ Equity

Ecology
5
Equity Economy

5. Are employees and customers
safe making and using our
products?
Equity/ Ecology

Ecology
6
Equity Economy

6. Is our produc@on safe for the
local and global communi@es?
Ecology/ Equity

Ecology
7
Equity Economy

7. Does waste equals food?
Ecology/ Ecology

Ecology
8
Equity Economy

8. Are we making effec@ve use of
our resources?
Ecology/ Economy

Ecology
9
Equity Economy

9. Are we using our resources
efficiently?
Ecology/ Economy

Stefaan@trinity‐planning.be
www.trinity‐planning.be
Main source: Cradle‐to‐cradle,
Michael Braungart & William Mc Donough