--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who are businesses really responsible to?…" description: "\"Who are businesses really responsible to? Their customers? Shareholders? Employees? We would argue that it’s none of the above. Fundamentally, business..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/yvon-chouinard-5320_arguing_who-are-businesses-really-responsible-to_232881.png" --- # Who are businesses really responsible to? Their customers?… ![“Who are businesses really responsible to? Their customers? Shareholders? Employees? We would argue that it’s none of the above. Fundamentally, businesses are responsible to their resource base. Without a healthy environment there are no shareholders, no employees, no customers and no business.” quote by Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/yvon-chouinard-5320_arguing_who-are-businesses-really-responsible-to_232881.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/yvon-chouinard-5320_arguing_who-are-businesses-really-responsible-to_232881.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/yvon-chouinard-5320_arguing_who-are-businesses-really-responsible-to_232881.png) > “Who are businesses really responsible to? Their customers? Shareholders? Employees? We would argue that it’s none of the above. Fundamentally, businesses are responsible to their resource base. Without a healthy environment there are no shareholders, no employees, no customers and no business.” [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Businesses should prioritize the health of the natural environment, their ultimate resource base, over any stakeholder group. **In simple terms:** Protect nature first. Key Takeaway Focus on environmental stewardship. Themes sustainability responsibility environment stakeholder ethics Mood concern determined Type ethical strategic When to use this quote - Corporate strategy - investment decisions - product design - risk management Key Concepts Ecology systems thinking triple bottom line Questions to Reflect On - How can a company measure its environmental impact? - What policies embed ecological health into business models? A Different Perspective Neglecting short‑term profit can clash with long‑term environmental goals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Employee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employee/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Healthy environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy-environment/) [Shareholders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shareholders/) ## Related quotes > [We intend to conduct our business in a way that not only meets but exceeds the expectations of our customers, business partners, shareholders, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-mori/we-intend-to-conduct-our-business-in-a-way-that-not-only-meets-but/) [Akira Mori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-mori/) > [I think it's a completely good thing to want to do business, to want to make money and be a success in the marketplace,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margrethe-vestager/i-think-it-s-a-completely-good-thing-to-want-to-do-business-to-want/) [Margrethe Vestager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margrethe-vestager/) > [The only way to know how customers see your business is to look at it through their eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-r-scoggin/the-only-way-to-know-how-customers-see-your-business-is-to-look-at-it/) Daniel R. Scoggin > [Our customers' business interests are heavily dependent on the oil and gas industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-katz/our-customers-business-interests-are-heavily-dependent-on-the-oil-and/) [Karen Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-katz/) > [“If you take the approach of “earning” your customers’ business every day and treating them well, they’re less likely to try someone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-suttle/if-you-take-the-approach-of-earning-your-customers-business-every-day/) [Marilyn Suttle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-suttle/) > [As a working mom, I know all too well how important it is to know that your children have a safe and healthy environment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikie-sherrill/as-a-working-mom-i-know-all-too-well-how-important-it-is-to-know-that/) [Mikie Sherrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikie-sherrill/) > [We do not have to choose between a healthy environment and a healthy economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-do-not-have-to-choose-between-a-healthy-environment-and-a-healthy/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We don't have to sacrifice a strong economy for a healthy environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-weaver/we-don-t-have-to-sacrifice-a-strong-economy-for-a-healthy-environment/) [Dennis Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-weaver/) > [On 'Scandal,' the majority of the cast, if not all of the cast, comes from theater, so it's a healthy environment. People come into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khandi-alexander/on-scandal-the-majority-of-the-cast-if-not-all-of-the-cast-comes-from/) [Khandi Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khandi-alexander/) > [I have my team. Like if you see everyone around me - I have my hair and makeup girl, my assistant. They're very calm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergie/i-have-my-team-like-if-you-see-everyone-around-me-i-have-my-hair-and/) [Fergie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergie/) > [The hardest part of returning to a truly healthy environment may be changing the current totally unsustainable heavy-meat-eating culture of increasing numbers of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/the-hardest-part-of-returning-to-a-truly-healthy-environment-may-be/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Sustainable energy + food security + healthy environment = full employment + better future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-harding/sustainable-energy-food-security-healthy-environment-full-employment/) [Phil Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-harding/) > [“Michael Pollan likens consumer choices to pulling single threads out of a garment. We pull a thread from the garment when we refuse to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/michael-pollan-likens-consumer-choices-to-pulling-single-threads-out/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [A lot of people, sometimes they're so stuck on, 'I gotta get married, I gotta get married.' They forget that the really important thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camila-alves/a-lot-of-people-sometimes-they-re-so-stuck-on-i-gotta-get-married-i/) [Camila Alves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camila-alves/) > [The human body has been designed to resist an infinite number of changes and attacks brought about by its environment. The secret of good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-johnson/the-human-body-has-been-designed-to-resist-an-infinite-number-of/) Harry Johnson ## More by Yvon Chouinard > [Once you educate yourself, you're left with choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/once-you-educate-yourself-you-re-left-with-choices/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [A real capitalist knows that $10 given today does a lot more good than $100 given 10 years from now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/a-real-capitalist-knows-that-10-given-today-does-a-lot-more-good-than/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [Doing risk sports had taught me another important lesson: never exceed your limits. You push the envelope and you live for those moments when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/doing-risk-sports-had-taught-me-another-important-lesson-never-exceed/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [But I'm really trying to run this company like it is going to be here a hundred years from now. That's what's important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/but-i-m-really-trying-to-run-this-company-like-it-is-going-to-be-here/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [It's okay to be eccentric if you're rich; otherwise you're just crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/it-s-okay-to-be-eccentric-if-you-re-rich-otherwise-you-re-just-crazy/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [Evil doesn’t have to be an overt act; it can be merely the absence of good. If you have the ability, the resources, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/evil-doesn-t-have-to-be-an-overt-act-it-can-be-merely-the-absence-of/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [The whole purpose of climbing something like Everest is to effect some sort of spiritual and physical gain. But if you compromise the process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/the-whole-purpose-of-climbing-something-like-everest-is-to-effect/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [At Patagonia, making a profit is not the goal because the Zen master would say profits happen 'when you do everything else right'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/at-patagonia-making-a-profit-is-not-the-goal-because-the-zen-master/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [Traveling is my form of self-education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/traveling-is-my-form-of-self-education/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [Everything we personally own that’s made, sold, shipped, stored, cleaned, and ultimately thrown away does some environmental harm every step of the way, harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/everything-we-personally-own-that-s-made-sold-shipped-stored-cleaned/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [We've teamed up with some Japanese companies to, basically by 2010, make all our clothing out of recycled and recyclable fibers. And we're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/we-ve-teamed-up-with-some-japanese-companies-to-basically-by-2010/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [You can solo-climb Everest without using oxygen or you can pay guides and Sherpas to carry your loads, put ladders across crevasses, lay in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/you-can-solo-climb-everest-without-using-oxygen-or-you-can-pay-guides/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [Climbing for speed records will probably become more popular, a mania which has just begun. Climbers climb not just to see how fast and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/climbing-for-speed-records-will-probably-become-more-popular-a-mania/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [Everything we make pollutes. The most responsible thing we can do is to make each product as well as we know how so it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/everything-we-make-pollutes-the-most-responsible-thing-we-can-do-is/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [The most important thing is to get the fish in quickly and leave it in the water. Forget the hero pose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/the-most-important-thing-is-to-get-the-fish-in-quickly-and-leave-it/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) [Explore all 101 Yvon Chouinard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) ## More Arguing quotes > [I do wish you wouldn't argue with me when I'm knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/i-do-wish-you-wouldn-t-argue-with-me-when-i-m-knitting/) [Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/) > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Men are fair, and they have learned not to personalize anger - they can disagree with you and argue to the bone, but afterward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/men-are-fair-and-they-have-learned-not-to-personalize-anger-they-can/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/when-eud-monidas-heard-a-philosopher-arguing-that-only-a-wise-man-can/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Fasting is required, staying away from fighting and arguing and bombing of masjids is still going on. Hatred is still manifested between Sunni and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/fasting-is-required-staying-away-from-fighting-and-arguing-and/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [The problem for the Left, however, is that the moment it stops painting the Right as vile, it has to argue the issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-problem-for-the-left-however-is-that-the-moment-it-stops-painting/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [You can argue that the Terminator movies reboot their world each time they go back in time, but that doesn't negate the value of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hayter/you-can-argue-that-the-terminator-movies-reboot-their-world-each-time/) [David Hayter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hayter/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I'm a very serious person, but I don't take myself very seriously and I would rather laugh all day than argue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/i-m-a-very-serious-person-but-i-don-t-take-myself-very-seriously-and/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [These eyes, tho' clear To outward view of blemish or of spot, Bereft of light, their seeing have forgot, Nor to their idle orbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/these-eyes-tho-clear-to-outward-view-of-blemish-or-of-spot-bereft-of/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [There's crucial distinction that has to be drawn between the Shari'a, which is this hugely expansive vision of cosmic order that I've been describing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadakat-kadri/there-s-crucial-distinction-that-has-to-be-drawn-between-the-shari-a/) [Sadakat Kadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadakat-kadri/) > [Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't understand truth nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/only-fools-argue-whether-to-eat-meat-or-not-they-don-t-understand/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [The surest sign that you haven't any sense is to argue with one who hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-surest-sign-that-you-haven-t-any-sense-is-to-argue-with-one-who/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) Browse all 1,908 Arguing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Who are businesses really responsible to? Their customers? Shareholders? Employees? We would argue that it’s none of the above. Fundamentally, businesses are responsible to their resource base. 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