Purpose -Modelling of sustainable development is essential, as environmental protection is regarded as a top global priority in the twenty-first century. The basic objective of this paper is to provide a conceptual framework, named the Four Forces model for diagnosing the process of sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach -Michael Porter's Five Forces model serves as a starting-point to derive the Four Forces model. The Four Forces model, which is developed based on Back Casting technique, shows the transformation process from current unsustainable development to future sustainable development through environmental degradation, greening force and greening process. These five major components are related based on cause and effect. Findings -The paper reveals that a clear understanding of the transformation process and their integration is necessary for successful implementation of sustainable development projects, as the transformation is a continuous process. The Four Forces model is a generic and contribute towards a richer understanding of sustainable development process.Research limitations/implications -The suggested conceptual model provides a holistic view of sustainable development and does not attempt to provide a detailed, step-by-step approach for implementing sustainable development in industries. This paper helps to initiate future studies in this area. Originality/value -In line with Michael Porter's three generic competitive strategies, this study analysis various greening strategies and greening tools and also recommends the Green Productivity as a better tool for implementing sustainable development in industries. The model can be used as a framework for further development of a practical sustainable development system in industries.

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of the paper is to illustrate an approach for developing a framework of indicators for integrating environmental protection into corporate performance. This paper also highlights Green Productivity Index (GPI) of the Continuous Improvement (CI) performed in a foundry casting, which includes both economic and environmental performances. Design/methodology/approach -In the paper data were collected from a foundry and used for developing indicators and Green Productivity Index (GPI). Mass balance concept was used for quantification of environmental indicators. Findings -The paper finds the approach adopted will provide a clear guidance for developing indicator and GPI to various types of industries. A casting case indicates that the GPI can be used as an actionable feedback for leadership to make effective decisions. Research limitations/implications -This research in this paper developed a framework of indicators for measuring direct environmental impact from the foundry, while indirect environmental impact due to electricity consumed has yet to be performed. Limited external validity of the indicator framework, as the analysis was performed in a single foundry. Practical implications -The paper relies on a unique foundry data. Environmental indicators may vary, since the melting furnace used for melting metal and type of molding process used for making molds may vary from one foundry to another. Originality/value -This paper is a holistic approach of combining theory and practical ideas to cover the scope of sustainable development. From a research perspective, it establishes a framework of indicators for the integration of environment into foundry and creates new research and application opportunities to other pollution-intensive industries. From a practical perspective, the framework of indicators developed to this point provides a guideline of immediate applicability.

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