In a business, CP is the responsibility of the entire company, starting from top management all the way to cleaning staff. While it is business itself that ultimately must implement CP, this needs to be supported by many external factors. These include: the policies of government, enforcement by local authorities, objectives of financial institutions, R&D of academic and research institutions, assistance of service providers, the commitment of business & industry associations, and the lobbying of NGOs.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development sets out the commitment of international business to achieving Sustainable Development through the CP approach:

"The basic business contribution to sustainable development is eco-efficiency: achieved by the delivery of competitively priced goods and services that satisfy human needs and bring quality of life, while progressively reducing ecological impacts and resource intensity throughout the life cycle, to a level at least in line with the Earth's estimated carrying capacity".

The commitment of governments to achieving Sustainable Development is set out in Agenda 21 - an agreement from the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Rio, 1992. The approach is "think globally, act locally" - and one arm of Agenda 21 is to encourage business to implement CP by creating conducive policies & tools. The WSSD in 2002 was held in Johannesburg - which has lead to added emphasis on Sustainable Development in South Africa.

Many of the world's industrialized nations are putting more and more emphasis on implementing CP within their own nations as well as supporting the implementation of CP in developing countries. The UN has produced a recent Status Report on CP implementation worldwide, with extensive details