The Importance of Sustainability in Various Business Driven Sectors

Christian Morales, Verrazzano Class of 2026, completed major in Business Finance

I was able to identify my research project by reflecting on my short-term business experience. Prior to writing my project, I completed two internship opportunities. Both previous summers I spent two months each working as an intern. My first internship being with Vornado Realty Trust, a REIT primarily located in as well as arguably dominating the real-estate market in New York City. I worked in their back office out of Paramus, NJ but had taken several trips to visit the properties in the city. It was here where I first acquired the “genesis” of what would become my Capstone. Vornado focuses heavily on managing their properties with a foundation built on sustainable principles. It was seen across their entire portfolio which fit well with their modern design. I learned there just how important sustainability was not just to their company, but to the world. What I was essentially witnessing was the beginnings of the future. After my internship, I noticed how other companies were also either beginning or continuing the adoption of sustainable practices. The more I recognized sustainability, the harder it was to separate the idea of success from sustainability.

At my second internship with Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., I was able to see the numbers behind Sustainability. Working in Operations allowed me to see how the companies that were attracting the most investors were the faces of their respective industries. But why? How is it that a brand can have such a large general consensus that agrees on it being the best in its field? What makes society so accepting of a company?

It didn’t take longer than a google search for any company that can be thought of before I came across one simple answer. The innovation of efficiency. Essentially the textbook effect of Sustainability. A practice which focuses on the long-term standing of the company that integrates it. It does not only lift up the company, but the society around it as well. The footprint of sustainability works as the by-product of a firm conducting business with a consumer. Pushing a company to its best with advanced technology, cleaner energy and systems. It was seen in the financial statements of companies. Their 10-Q’s and 10-K’s were irrefutable proof of this. The companies within those same industries that perform poorly can be explained by their lack or even zero incorporation of sustainable practices.

That understanding made it easy for me to pursue the research. Initially, when I was tasked with the capstone, I essentially had to find a problem within the Business World, and I was stumped. It was only when I reflected on my experience as an intern and even a consumer where the idea became real to me.

If I were to expand on my research, I would pick a company and see what sustainable advancements the company could make to enhance their performance. Often, companies shy away from Sustainability because of its substantial price task that is demanded upfront. The companies that do are only focused on the small picture. It is better to take a hit now to benefit greatly in the future as opposed to being stubborn to evolution now and to not even exist much less be remembered in the future. Sustainability can be applied to all areas of business. Waste Management. Product Distribution. Supply Chains. Energy Efficiency. Wherever innovation can take place within a business, will lie an opportunity for the adoption of Sustainable practices. It isn’t about being green. Nor is it about making money. It is about doing what’s morally just and right. Not just for the modern day, but also for the future.