**4. Sustainable business**

Sustainable business is about minimizing costs, which covers the three aspects of business: environmental, financial, and human. There are several challenges business need to consider to better compete in the market. The volatile energy prices is a major challenge for business, all options need to be considered to reduce the energy bill and consequently the business's dependence on oil. The prices of raw material increases due to increase in the world's population. Increases in waste and disposal costs are becoming critical to business. Most countries of the world have passed laws and regulations for waste regulation and recycling. Plastic, cans, papers, and other recyclable materials are kept away from landfill sites to avoid waste. The legislation to control CO2 pollution is active in many countries, manufacturers and industrial companies not only face a real challenge to keep their level of CO2 within limits, but investors are avoiding investing in companies that are not willing to comply and watch the high cost of change in environment. Customer and business demands and expectations are becoming different, buyers are so much aware of prices and sustainability initiatives. Retailers are concerned with their supply chains, where the majority of their environmental footprint is centered. They are interested to optimize prices of energy, material, and supply chains. Companies that are committed to low-cost sustainable operations gain the best market share; this will put such companies on a competitive advantage compared to others. Nowadays, customers expect companies to be transparent, which is done through two channels: voluntary where information passing from company to customers, or involuntary where information is shared by consumer watchdog groups. There are companies that are making it possible for customers to have online access to follow up on products from concept to material sourcing, to manufacturing and delivery. Companies share ingredients of their products by providing online lists.

Commitment to sustainability helps companies to recruit, and retain smart employees who think about things other than money. Those employees work with pride and purpose, want to feel the ability to make difference and accomplishment. The longer a company takes an action, the higher the cost is, and the further behind it will be in terms of market share, profitability, and innovation. Hidden costs exist, such costs could be building-related low productivity, and sickness resulting from poor ventilation and lighting. In addition, there are costs related to laying off employees, which include the loss of investment in human capital, economic and social ex-communication, and reduction in national economic growth.
