ESG in Family Businesses: Sustainability, Triple Bottom Line, and Long-Term Value Creation

Abstract

Family businesses play a central role in economic and social development. One of their most distinctive hallmarks is a long-term orientation — the continuity of the business, the legacy built generation after generation. It is precisely in this context that the adoption of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) practices makes so much sense: not as an external obligation, but as a natural extension of the values that already guide these organisations. This article analyses the evolution of corporate sustainability and social responsibility, with particular attention to the Triple Bottom Line model and its convergence with ESG in family businesses. Drawing on theoretical research and an illustrative case study — the fictional company EcoTech — we show how any family organisation, even a small one, can implement ESG practices progressively and coherently. The results are clear: integrating the environmental, social and governance pillars is not only the right thing to do — it is good for business.