The new bottom line: money is no longer a dirty word in sustainability

Businesses should heed new research that shows customers expect them to make money while doing something good for the world

• Best Buy's e-cycle program is ambitious, successful and financially unsustainable
• Science will help push companies towards a low-carbon future

Money used to be a dirty word in corporate sustainability. For decades, companies largely viewed their social and environmental initiatives as charitable or side projects instead of part of their core business. But that attitude is changing.

More companies are taking into account their impact on environment, workers and community in running their business. At the same time, a growing body of research shows that consumers, especially young ones, believe that doing something good for the world should be part of a company's core business plan. They want companies to show how their sustainability investments produce financial and other measurable results.