ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the state of social sustainability as an essential component of sustainable business performance. It traces the evolution of the concept and outlines the essential characteristics in any particular business context. However, sustainability has evolved to add economic and social sustainability as critical components of successful sustainable business strategies. Why has social sustainability become essential to the definition and practice of sustainability? First, social sustainability is inextricably linked to economic and environmental sustainability. Second, for a variety of reasons, there are increasing demands for businesses to proactively address many social issues in sustainable ways. Social sustainability has proved difficult to define in a way that is both comprehensible and meaningful to business and to the range of external stakeholders in government and society with which it interacts. Social sustainability initiatives not only address workforce issues but also help increase local employment and procurement from aboriginal businesses and support native culture.
