Integrating sustainable development into existing management systems

Organizations are under increasing pressure from both outside and within to apply the principles of sustainable development to their operations. Although a variety of initiatives have been undertaken, many organizations have struggled with the implementation of the concept in practice. This paper addresses this issue by providing a framework for the integration of sustainable development into mainstream business systems. The proposed integrated management systems (IMS) model illustrates how existing management systems for quality, environment, occupational health and safety, and corporate social responsibility may be enhanced so that they are more reflective of sustainable development. Integration is considered from both a macro-level and a micro-level perspective. The macro-level perspective emphasizes a systems approach to viewing the IMS while the micro-level perspective considers integration on the basis of the model's seven elements. The paper highlights that sustainable development cannot be viewed as a disconnected initiative and implementation requires integration with existing business infrastructure.