Sustainability is more important today than it was five years ago, say 81% of companies

The Christmas advert which captured the public’s imagination the most this year barely made mention of the brand behind it. It didn’t even manage to make it onto TV. Iceland’s banned ‘No Palm Oil’ story notched up millions of views on YouTube, proving that consumers like it when brand’s go beyond profit and look to positively impact society.

Many senior business leaders, however, still need some convincing that being purpose-led as opposed to being purely profit-motivated will be good for business in the long run, reports the Consultancy.uk website. Perhaps they don’t truly believe that customers are prepared to vote with their wallets. That’s not to say that they are completely oblivious to the importance of sustainability – more that they are unwilling to commit to it because it can’t easily be tied to the bottom line.

Recent research from Bain & Company has cited on Consultancy.uk revealed that 81% of companies believe that sustainability is more important today than it was five years ago, while 85% say that it will be more important still in another five years. But, nearly half (47%) corporate sustainability changes fail – or is it more a case that they were only prepared to pay lip service to them?

However, a separate report from Accenture Strategy must make leaders reconsider how committed they are to their sustainability efforts. The global survey of nearly 30,000 consumers in 35 countries found that 62% want companies to take a stand on issues such as sustainability, transparency and fair employment practices.

Not only do customers want firms to talk the talk, they also want them to walk the walk with facts and figures which prove their commitment – 66% say a brand should demonstrate “it does what it says it will do and delivers on its promises.” So, if a firm is saying it has set goals to tackle its carbon footprint, for example, it had best have the data to back its claims up.

If you would like help with your business’s sustainability journey, get in touch with the Zestec team today on 01202 862760 or by emailing info@zestecgroup.co.uk to find out your sustainable energy options.