Question

Sustainability involves more than just the impact of actions on the environment. The triple bottom line recognizes that a company has to measure its impact on the​ economy, the​ environment, and society for its​ long-term economic and social viability. To follow are examples of green initiatives recently undertaken at Ford Motor Company. For each​ example, indicate whether the impact of this initiative would be primarily​ economic, environmental, or social.

Answer 1

Total shareholder return has increased in the past fiscal year. ECONOMIC

Provides disaster relief to Haiti, donating various hygiene products. SOCIAL

Working to improve and preserve the quality of water within regions and communities where operations take place to avoid contributing to water scarcity. ENVIRONMENTAL

Partners with Feeding America to help fight hunger. SOCIAL

Partners with UNICEF to provide vaccinations to women and children at risk for maternal and neonatal tetanus. SOCIAL

Plans to eliminate manufacturing waste that is currently sent to landfills. ENVIRONMENTAL

Planning to create products and packaging in such a way that consumer waste goes to recycling, compost, or waste to-energy rather than landfills. ENVIRONMENTAL

Moving toward 100% renewable energy to power plants to completely eliminate petroleum-based CO2 emissions. ENVIRONMENTAL

Shareholder's equity decreased from 2013 to 2014. ECONOMIC

Funds nongovernmental organizations' efforts to educate children in India. SOCIAL

When examining these statements, it is only important to see which segment it influences the most. However, it is important to emphasize that every statement can impact more than one segment. Of course, it will mainly influence one segment, but it can implicitly affect other segments too.