Infringements on human life and the quality of human life, as well as environmental destruction, have costs, which as of 2022, no one is paying. We insist that responsible parties be held accountable financially for their participation in destructive and dangerous practices and production. That responsibility will not fall upon the American people and the other citizens of the world to live and work in unfit and ecologically unhealthy environments. Instead, it falls solely on corporate entities which have previously avoided the responsibility. The current accounting model, Single Bottom Line, simply considers income minus expenses to result in the only number that matters to a CEO and their board of directors: profit. We must transition from reactive to proactive, and hold them accountable before further catastrophes occur. Triple Bottom Line adds two more lines before true profit: Human Cost and Environmental Cost.
Human Cost:
Line two of three referenced in Triple Bottom Line is the Human Cost. Human Cost will be calculated mathematically, using statically analyzed settlement figures collected from related industries over the last five years, regarding the following costs:
- Lost wages and wage theft (including refusal to pay contractually obligated benefits)
- Lost lives (and related funeral costs)
- Lost homes
- Lost infrastructure
- Mental health impact
- Underpaid employees (based on regionally indexed wages)
- Materials from unethical sources (as set by the UN)
- Medical expenses related to workplace safety
Environmental Cost:
Line three out of three referenced in Triple Bottom Line is the Environmental Cost. Environmental Cost will be calculated mathematically, using statically analyzed cost figures collected from the cost of ecological reparations, bioremediation, and pollution and waste reduction actions of the appropriate category over the last five years, regarding the following costs:
- Replacement parts per quarter (filters, single-use manufacturing components, etc.)
- Emissions
- Plastic waste and packaging
- Water pollution
- Recycling fees
- Deforestation
- Fire
- Desertification
- Other habitat destruction
- Chemical runoff pollution (to its full dispersion)
Retroactive Costs:
Human Cost and Environmental Cost have been left to accumulate, leaving in their wake ecological destruction and the devastation of innumerable human lives. It’s time for those responsible to pay their debts. Triple Bottom Line will be applied retroactivity to all USA-based corporations for the past thirty-seven (37) years.
Reporting and Oversight:
The statistical analysis required in calculating both Human Cost and Environmental Cost must be reported every quarter with the corporation’s quarterly taxes. If a corporate entity is not equipped with the staff to provide this data internally, they may use a third-party analysis service.
Using this data, a Human Cost and an Environmental Cost will be calculated. This value must be paid when filing taxes the following quarter. Annually, a post-cost evaluation will be conducted by a third party to evaluate these reports and compare the Human Cost and Environmental Cost reported to the actual impact.
Corporations found misreporting will have 30 days to pay additional Human Cost and Environmental Cost or file an appeal, or be subject to Judicial Dissolution. If an appeal fails, the corporation will be subject to Judicial Dissolution immediately.