Marketing for Sustainable Development

Introduction

Sihem DEKHILI

CNRS – BETA, University of Strasbourg, France

For a number of years, sustainable development has been an omnipresent issue in both media discussions and in political, economic and academic debates. It is pushing a real challenge into the spotlight: the balance between the economic, environmental and social components, with the aim of satisfying the needs of the current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland 1987). Sustainable development, looking to the long-term, promotes altruistic values that are beneficial not only to the protection of the planet, but also to social justice and the well-being of others. Indeed, as stated by Gabriel (2003), the wealth created by companies can have an environmental and social cost, and those that benefit from this wealth are not necessarily those that bear the cost. Sustainable development also refers to the idea of controlled production and mindful consumption, with personal pleasure pushed to the background.

Various efforts have been made to take these considerations into account. Most countries have implemented regulations supporting sustainability. Companies have become involved and some have even put sustainability at the heart of their business models. We have thereby seen the development of a new offer on the market, with products using fewer resources and polluting components, and generating less waste (Auger and Devinney 2007; Yannou-Le Bris ...