ABSTRACT
The logic of the economic system under which the world operates is predicated on an assumption that development is possible and that the pricing system mediates the acquisition of the additional resources required for that development. Efficient operations make for least cost of manufacture and this in itself is a factor in the development of sustainability. To address this problem requires a holistic approach which integrates corporate social responsibility into all the operations of the company, including its production and maintenance activities. In 1983 the United Nations established the World Commission on Environment and Development under the chairmanship of Gro Harlem Brundtland. Although many factors contribute to global warming, it is clear that commercial and economic activity plays a significant part. The depletion of the resources of the planet, however, is one of the factors which have helped create the current interest in sustainability. The discourse in the developed world is towards the conservation of resources and towards energy efficiency.
