Sustainability is an increasingly important issue for many companies. Discover the benefits of a more responsible system that focuses on the environment.
Nature and climate change are the crucial issues of our time. We have no alternative: embracing a sustainable approach is necessary to save our Planet. But focusing on sustainability can also be beneficial for companies and economic operators. Read on to find out why.
UN Agenda 2030: Goals for sustainable development
The UN 2030 Agenda is a set of common goals for people, the planet, and prosperity signed in September 2015 by the governments of the 193 UN member countries to be achieved by 2030. Without any doubt, the collaboration of all countries and the cooperation of the whole system is essential.
Eco-Friendly Business: Benefits
The benefits of sustainability for a business.
Research from “MIT Sloan Management Review”( in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group and the support of the SAS Institute) emphasizes how important it is to adopt a sustainable approach. For example:
- It brings benefits on brand and company image
- Business sustainability is an added value in terms of social and even personal change
Sustainability has many positive impacts on business: The case of Ray Anderson
The “MIT Sloan Management Review” covered a particular and very interesting case, that of CEO Ray Anderson of Interface. His case is truly amazing: the entrepreneur has doubled profits by completely overturning what we might call the “traditional” industrial system. A revolutionary vision towards the path of sustainability.
The industrial engineer Anderson was involved in the production of industrial carpets and in his work, he never worried about the issue of sustainability. In one of his interviews, he recounts how, upon reading Paul Hawken’s book “The Ecology of Commerce,” he became aware of how industries were primarily responsible for the decline of the ecosystem and at the same time the only ones who could embark on a path toward sustainability.
He then began to adopt a strategic plan that led to the reduction of the impact on the planet and the climate. Among its achievements, the company succeeded in:
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 82%
- Increase sales by 2/3 with doubled profits
Why start focusing on sustainability?
More innovative strategies, social responsibility, and target new customers who value sustainability can help you earn money while respecting the environment. Some factors considered in the survey conducted by the “MIT Sloan Management Review”:
- Capital markets are paying more attention to sustainability and using it as an indicator to evaluate companies and make investment decisions.
- Consumers, shareholders, and the government are paying more attention to sustainability and putting pressure on companies to act.
Conclusion
The “traditional” industrial system is deeply entrenched and changing it requires opposing actions on a similar scale. This means, for example, actively divesting industrial practices that harm our planet and adopting more responsible practices.
To make businesses more sustainable starts with knowing the problem at hand and decide what to do with our planet: to hurt it or heal it.
Cover image by CanvaPro
