In fact, profitable companies go beyond even sustainability, as they throw off vast resources than can then be used to start new business and make new investments.

FORBES: Sustainability -- I Do Not Think That Word Means What You Think It Means

"We're excited to be able to go beyond simply achieving sustainability with 1Q, to helping restore the environment where it's needed the most, " says Laituri.

ENGADGET: Meet the Vers 1Q: the wooden, portable Bluetooth speaker gets Kickstarted, ships this November

This goes beyond a simple commitment to sustainability.

FORBES: Recycling E-Waste: How One Company Gets It Right

European Union energy and environmental leaders may still pledge sprawling strategies to reach 2020 sustainability goals and beyond, but on the local level, the challenge of reigning in spending without putting a nail in the coffin of the domestic industry has left many in limbo.

FORBES: Green Energy's Crisis of Confidence in the Mediterranean

There is one other important reason for thinking that companies will maintain their commitments to sustainability through the downturn and beyond: the need to restore confidence in business.

ECONOMIST: Corporate social responsibility

How do we make CSR and sustainability a whole system approach that is above and beyond a discrete set of social or environmental initiatives?

FORBES: Moving Beyond CSR: The Business of Social Change

In making its recommendation, the Jury took the following factors into consideration: the significance of work already undertaken in the area of preservation that is beyond the candidate's regular functions, long-term preservation strategy, sustainability, and international outreach.

UNESCO: MEDIA SERVICES