A Development Model of Environmentally-Friendly Companies in the Context of Sustainable Development (on the Example of Apple, Microsoft, Google)

Due to the growing concern in the global community about the contradictions between the environmental, social and economic components of sustainable development, it has become critically important for the international business community to adapt to the current needs of stakeholders and build an effective sustainable business model. The purpose of this research is to determine the optimal business strategy for sustainable development. The study analyzes the evolution of “sustainable development”, “corporate social responsibility”, “sustainable business model” concepts, and considers the main factors of sustainable development and standards of international non-financial reporting. As major part of this master's thesis, the experience of sustainable developments principles implementation into business model is studied by the case of large technology corporations: Microsoft, Apple and Google. In conclusion, the basic principles of an effective sustainable development model are presented, the key stages of SD principles implementation are identified and the most effective sustainable development management approach at the company level is defined. Keywords: sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, sustainable business model, strategic planning.