Title: Integrating sustainability into business continuity planning

Authors: Holmes E. Miller

Addresses: Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA 18104, USA

Abstract: Recently, natural and human-enabled disasters have caused many high profile events that resulted in significant losses of life and property, and that have highlighted business vulnerabilities to environmental factors. In response, many organisations have implemented business continuity plans and adopted more sustainable business processes. Business continuity and sustainability have long and distinguished histories. In this paper, we discuss how using environmentally conscious business practices support business continuity planning. Sustainable business strategies are presented from the perspective of location and infrastructure, product design, and operational process design, and are related to the various phases of business continuity planning. We also introduce some generic strategies that are both sustainable and that facilitate business resilience.

Keywords: sustainability; environmentally conscious; business continuity; disaster recovery; business resilience; risk analysis; continuity planning; sustainable business processes; location; infrastructure; product design; process design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBCRM.2011.042301

International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management, 2011 Vol.2 No.3, pp.219 - 232

Published online: 27 Sep 2014 *

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