In today's economy, sustainability means that business activities should not have a bad or negative impact on the environment, the community or even society as a whole. Corporate or business sustainability generally refers to two major categories: The impact of business on the environment. The impact of business on society.

When and how to apply Sustainability:

The Sustainability pattern builds your business model around minimizing negative impact on the environment and society, treating this not as a compliance burden or marketing add-on but as a core design principle shaping products, sourcing, operations, and even your revenue model. This can involve reducing resource consumption and waste, sourcing materials responsibly, ensuring fair labor practices throughout the supply chain, and designing products for durability, repairability, or recyclability rather than planned obsolescence. Companies embracing sustainability increasingly find it aligns with both regulatory trends and shifting customer expectations, particularly among younger, more environmentally conscious consumers who actively seek out and are willing to pay more for genuinely sustainable options - though the pattern requires real substance behind the claims to avoid being dismissed as superficial greenwashing.

Well-known companies that use this pattern are Patagonia and Interface.