Sustainability in the Eyes of the Corporate Site Locator

Everyone knows that economic developers have a "love-hate" relationship with sustainability. Everyone also knows that companies are suspicious of the term as a guise to get them to do things they don't need or want to do.

A recent article in Business Facilities Online offers some useful insights into this complex issue. Here is a clip from the article:

"Over the past few years, facility managers have shown an increasing awareness of the connection between commercial buildings and their impact on the environment, particularly as it relates to reducing costs and making their facilities healthy for the people who work there. These are the central goals for facility managers, because they make good business sense. It's also apparent that pursuing sustainable activities is not being driven by the desire to make their organization look better in the public eye, though that may be a result.

The examination of any controversial topic should begin with a definition. What is sustainability and what does it mean to key professionals involved in the pursuit of this goal?"