摘要：Ecosystems provide goods and services that are important for the needs of humanity. Corporate sustainability programmes balance the need for economic growth with environmental protection and social equality. This study examines the extent to which organisations in Southern Africa are linking their business operations to sustainability of the natural environment. A desk review was done of documents collected from different sources, including stock exchanges, registrars of companies, companies’ annual reports, organisational constitutions, national statistical offices, government publications and internet sources. Primary data was obtained from managers at registered organisations using both structured and unstructured interviews, as well as through questionnaires. Direct observations were employed wherever necessary in the study. This study found that 69.3% of organisations in Southern Africa indicated that they do not consider the natural environment as their main stakeholder in their planning and performance measurement systems; and that they do not have proper measurement systems to assess the impact of their operations on either the natural environment or society. It is recommended that if corporate sustainability in Southern Africa is to be a success, then organisations must immediately start to value and protect ecosystems which are the backbone of their business operations.
