The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) is a business framework that balances social, environmental, and economic factors to measure an organization’s success. The term, coined by John Elkington, is often described as ‘people, planet, profit’. TBL encourages a stakeholder-focused approach over a shareholder-centric one, enabling organizations to take a broader view of their impact. Some businesses extend this to the ‘quadruple bottom line’, incorporating a future perspective. Adopted by companies like General Electric and Unilever, TBL strives to benefit multiple stakeholders and minimize harm, going beyond traditional profit measures. The TBL approach has also led to the development of specific analytical tools, including the Triple Bottom Line Cost Benefit Analysis (TBL-CBA). However, the framework has faced criticism, particularly around its treatment of environmental issues and the challenges of measuring social and ecological impact. Despite these challenges, TBL’s focus on sustainability often leads to long-term profitability and has influenced global legislation and sustainability strategies.
The triple bottom line (or otherwise noted as TBL or 3BL) is an accounting framework with three parts: social, environmental (or ecological) and economic. Some organizations have adopted the TBL framework to evaluate their performance in a broader perspective to create greater business value. Business writer John Elkington claims to have coined the phrase in 1994.
NL 
EN 
FR 
PT