Triple Bottom Line

Triple Bottom line is the idea that a business' success should not only be judged on its financial performance, but also on the impact it has on society and the environment.

The term was initially coined by John Elkington in his book 'Towards the sustainable corporation: A business metaphor for a social construct'. It is derived from the accounting term 'Bottom Line' which refers to the final Net Profit figure on a companies profit and loss accounts.