INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENT POLICY WITH BUSINESS STRATEGY

Many businesses have had environmental policies for several years but few have integrated these policies with their business strategy. Examp les are used to show how this integration has been successfully accomp lished by different companies with benefits far the company, the envir onment, and the community. The ways in which integration is achieved v aries considerably. The firm's financial situation, its unique circums tances, its impact on the natural environment, and the degree of top l evel commitment all contribute to the merging of business strategy and environment policy. Studies from other sources provide powerful indic ators of lasting business success. These include research on visionary and adaptable companies. This article offers ideas which bring togeth er the strategic environmental challenge and the ingredients for susta inable success in our changing world. These ideas can be used by manag ers to assess their own organizations and establish an appropriate way forward. There is increasing evidence that fundamental change is nece ssary which will mean transforming businesses and establishing new way s of thinking. A self-assessment scale enables managers to establish w hat this may mean for their organization.