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The idea of sustainability has become an increasing expectation for the public as awareness of environmental degradation and how climate change affects the human condition has become mainstream. Globally, investments in renewable energy from $33 billion in 2004 to $211 billion in 2010. Sustainability is a deliberately vague concept especially when referred to by businesses and politicians. This exhibits the same ideology of conservation; the seemingly necessary human exploitation of the natural environment should be regulated to some degree.

Sustainable business practice can include risk assessment and degradation avoidance, fair trade supply chains, ensuring equitable resource access to people of differing cultures and economic status, and as described by the World Commission on Environment and Development, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs''. These concepts have been lumped under an umbrella term known as the triple bottom line (Elkington, 1994, 2004). This implies the world should seek a balance between all groups, including economic entities. There is a wide range of stakeholders, perspectives, and situations that influence environment decision making. In America some common stakeholder groups may include general populations such adults, or white Americans, the indigenous community, people of color, immigrants, farmers, environmentalists, scientists, politicians, or corporate businesses etc. Smaller groups may include individual communities or tribes, or specific demographics like black men age 18-35, for example. All of these stakeholder groups will have different perspectives and opinions, values, and beliefs that will determine how they think natural resources should be allocated and environmental policy should be implemented. One issue is that the power holders, especially in America, need to be convinced that the TBL is a good goal. Despite consumers seeking out sustainable products and relying on companies to advance their sustainability practices, there is a clear slow movement towards a real shift in environmental awareness and change. However corporations are turning towards sustainability initiatives on small and large scales. Lower long term energy costs are an obvious benefit. Additionally streamlining business processes, encouraging better use of technology and pursuing innovations improving morale can be considered benefits of sustainable business practice. Due to the nature of lobbying and its influence on legislation in America, large corporations hold the most power and influence. Any real policy to be implemented must be in favor of the dividends or ultimate success of these mega-firms. Small businesses and farmers can't afford to keep up with the mass industrial sized returns of the giant corporations, that they also are against any regulation as they are seen as money drains. To convince firms to include environmental wellbeing in their priorities, defining sustainability and how it can be beneficial to business is crucial. Sustainability being seen as an opportunity to create jobs, innovations, and markets will be a driving factor to encourage corporations and therefore lobbyists and politicians to start creating environmental initiatives and policy. This will encourage a positive feedback loop of increased funding and research for environmental innovations and technology.

Achieving an actual sustainable future will require regulation and a national reconsideration of how we allow our natural resources to be used and how we affect the environment. A Sustainable Asset Integrity Management plan is suggested to help organize to determine goals for the environment and regulations for entities and businesses. Sustainable Asset Integrity Management plan i. Asset management: Promote sustainability through decision making and assigning resources for implementing the requisite changes in AIM. ii. Sustainability management unit: Coordinate relevant programs needed to sustainably maintain resources by interfacing with relevant units for feedback and reports. iii. Environmental and quality control: Ensure that the assets operate within key performance indicators (KPIs) as stipulated by the regulatory framework. iv. Plant departments: Responsible for implementing necessary operations stipulated for sustainable AIM. v. Stakeholders: These are responsible for oversight functions through regulation enforcement. The stakeholders also perform other functions such as R&D, remanufacture, development of codes and regulatory standards, etc. Chofreh, A. G. (05/2014). Sustainable enterprise resource planning: Imperatives and research directions Elsevier. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.01.010 /ref>

Ossai, C. I., Boswell, B., & Davies, I. J. (2014). Sustainable asset integrity management: Strategic imperatives for economic renewable energy generation. Renewable Energy, 67, 143-152. doi:10.1016/J.RENENE.2013.11.024 /ref>

Valiela, I., G. Tomasky, J. Hauxwell, M. L. Cole, J. CebriÃ¡n, & K. D. Kroeger. (2000). Operationalizing sustainability: management and risk assessment of landâderived nitrogen loads to estuaries. Ecological Applications, 10(4), 1006–1023. /ref>