Novo Nordisk employees take pride in the company's Triple Bottom Line approach and its commitment to financial, environmental and social responsibility. This is one of the most frequently cited aspects that make Novo Nordisk a 'great place to work', according to people who work with Novo Nordisk. The Triple Bottom Line as a business principles is a way to make sustainability thinking part of everyday business practice. Such an approach offers new opportunities, but indeed also challenges. For how can it be proven that this is the way to achieve better business results? How can we measure the benefits, for the business as well as for society? And how can we ensure that decisions are always made in a way that balances considerations for the Triple Bottom Line? The answer is simple: We cannot! That is to say - with current methods of measuring, quantitatively or qualitatively, conclusive evidence of the 'business case' for this approach has yet to be presented. What we can do, though, is to identify potential business benefits and potential financial impact, and here we can indeed suggest a range of building blocks of a robust business case. We aspire to become a model of sustainable business, to be a preferred business partner, to be a trusted company, and to come across as a pharmaceutical company with a heart. Building the business case for the Triple Bottom Line approach is a key factor in earning stakeholder trust and retaining our reputation as a sustainability-driven business leader. The financial impact of our sustainability strategy is not our main motivator. On the other hand it is clear that without a business rationale, sustainability-thinking would run the risk of being merely a nice add-on. Two examples underscore how we mean business when talking sustainability: Changing diabetes is an expression of our aspiration to defeat diabetes. TakeAction! is the employee programme that encourages everyone to make the Triple Bottom Line their business.
Read another three examples from different parts of the business - click on the stories in the left hand menu. Embedding the Triple Bottom Line in everyday practices and decision-making is a journey, and we recognise that we still have quite a way to go. | 
