Choosing between energy costs and sustainability is a false choice. The traditional methods of evaluating the ROI for energy improvements focus on short-term reductions in energy usage, as this is typically simplest to quantify and directly correlates to lower operating costs. However, while the value of energy reductions should not be trivialized, it is only one component that should be considered when evaluating the value of an effective energy management program. Sustainability can provide a much greater return when we shift our timescale and focus on people.