Tesla Chief Executive Office Elon Musk speaks at his company’s factory in Fremont, California, in this June 22, 2012.

This week in the news, a short paragraph in the Financial Mail caught my eye. It was about Tesla founder Elon Musk and his continuing success with Tesla. I’d like to think that there are many of us out there rooting for him and for his business; one of the more inspiring and hopeful companies in the sustainability world. For those of us that are, this is a good week for us, for Tesla investors, and hopefully for the planet as well. This week Tesla shares rose “7% to US$49bn, overtaking iconic old-era Ford ($46bn) in market value.”

I see this as a literal and symbolic step forward, showing us all that electric cars have a place in this market, that they aren’t about to disappear, and that they are worth investing in and supporting. It makes me think back to the Milton Friedman quote we have studied in so many classes: “There is one and only one social responsibility of business–to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game.” It represents this idea that is still so prevalent in the business world, which is that business is solely about profit; that any other goals or social missions will only get in the way.

Tesla has disproved this idea simply by going about their business, being innovative and sustainably focused. By passing an iconic brand like Ford in their market value they’ve proved that being sustainable and responsible in business can be a means to increase profits and investment, rather than decrease them. Maybe this will drive other brands, not only car brands, to see sustainability as an important aspect of business. Like the article stated, it’s been a “good week for Elon Musk”, a good week for sustainable business, and a good week for the planet.