Reality Drives Sustainability

The movement towards sustainability in big business is not being driven by environmentalists, nor is it being driven by political agenda. There are more encompassing global realities to thank.

• Climate Change - The growing concentrations of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere and the fear of what the effect will be on the planet has led to an increase in regulations being proposed, and in some cases enacted, to limit and put a cost on carbon emissions.
• Competition for Resources - Population growth and the rise in living standards in emerging economies will generate higher demand for goods and services resulting in unprecedented demand for natural resources. As resources become scarce and competition for what is available increases, we risk conflict as populations struggle to meet basic needs.
• Communications - The advent and proliferation of social media has not only made it easy for people to connect across the globe, it has created a very efficient means to disseminate information and opinion. People can easily track and report on a company's environmental performance and destroy the reputations of those found lacking.
• Globalisation - National economies are being integrated into one global economy and many companies are operating across a number of borders and social/environmental standards. However, minimum international standards are emerging as key stakeholder requirements eclipse the locally enforced standards.

Whatever the drivers, the value to the planet is substantial. Innovative ways are being found to meet our growing needs while reducing our impact on the environment. Our efforts are slow and the roadblocks are many and resilient, but big business is embracing sustainability at an ever increasing rate. And where big companies lead, smart businesses follow.