Beyond the Numbers: The Triple Bottom Line

More and more companies are measuring and reporting nonfinancial ethical performance, focusing on people and planet in addition to financials.

As CPAs, we are experts at calculating and reporting on the financial bottom line, but we may not be familiar with a growing reporting trend that measures a company’s nonfinancial ethical performance, known as the triple bottom line (TBL). The triple bottom line is a phrase coined by John Elkington in his 1998 book, “Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business,” and he suggests that a business’s success depends on its positive influence through three bottom lines: profits, people and planet. (1) Triple bottom line reporting is also known as sustainability reporting or corporate social responsibility reporting, and has been increasing in popularity as consumer and investors seek out brands and companies that align with their social values.

Click below to read the full article by  Karen Helderman for Virginia Society of CPAs.

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