ABSTRACT
This chapter describes preliminary studies conducted at the request of National Institute for Sustainable Development (NIDO) and Philips to examine what is possible in the area of the social sustainability of products. The data and results referred are taken from the reports of the research study. Sustainability is a theme that suits the culture of Philips. Given Philips' culture and approach, it should not be surprising that NIDO decided to approach the company in connection with the 'people' side of sustainable products. Through this project Philips has acquired access to a tool to measure the social sustainability of its products. The tool enables Philips to determine which social sustainability criteria are perceived as important by its stakeholders and whether its current products meet these criteria. Although Philips is already very open about its affairs via its website, further research into other ways of reaching customers is needed.
