SAN FRANCISCO,
July 28, 2010
(PRNewswire) -- BSR's latest report examines the newest frontier of
sustainability, outlining the opportunities for companies to
deliver value to customers, society, and the planet by promoting
sustainable consumption-an economic and social system that allows
all individuals to meet their basic needs without disrupting the
planet's healthy ecosystems.
"For years, sustainable consumption has been framed as a
limitation on business," said BSR President and CEO Aron Cramer,
who recently led a workshop on the subject in New York with BSR member companies from
the agriculture, apparel, food, retail, personal care, and beauty
sectors.
"But in a world where our consumption patterns outpace the
planet's ability to regenerate resources by 30 percent, businesses
that figure out how to deliver enhanced value by radically reducing
material inputs and engaging consumers on product use will be
well-positioned for success."
BSR's report, "The New Frontier in Sustainability: The Business
Opportunity in Tackling Sustainable Consumption," moves beyond
"first generation" sustainability efforts focused on sourcing of
materials, processing and assembly, and distribution, and
identifies opportunities for companies to tackle sustainable
consumption through three key parts of the business value
cycle:
- Product design: Design choices about things
like material weight and packaging have direct impacts on
transportation costs and fuel use, while choices about energy
efficiency directly impact energy consumption in a product's use
phase. In some cases, a focus on sustainable consumption may result
in the radical redesign of familiar products, and in other cases,
there may be an opportunity to deliver the same value through
services (such as car-sharing) rather than products (such as car
sales).
- Consumer engagement and use: Consumers may be
in the driver's seat when it comes to choices about products and
use, but companies can give consumers the keys to more sustainable
behavior by embedding sustainable options into products and giving
consumers simple, accessible information about how to use their
products in a more sustainable manner.
- End-of-use: Companies are setting targets to
eliminate all waste from products' end-of-life. This focus allows
business to incorporate waste prevention into the design phase of
products. Some companies are drawing inspiration from nature by
implementing "closed-loop systems" that mirror the natural life
cycles of living plant cells.
Highlighting leaders in sustainable consumption such as Best
Buy, which is investing in ways to help consumers manage their home
energy and water use; GoodGuide, which provides consumers with
information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of
everyday products; and the Danish city Kalundborg, which has
created an "industrial ecosystem" in which a dozen industries
cooperate in reusing "waste" from neighboring facilities, BSR's
report emphasizes the many opportunities for companies to innovate
in the name of sustainability.
"Sustainability can and should be thought of as a way to create
opportunities and become a substantial source of competitive
advantage, not solely as a way to mitigate risk," said Cramer.
"When it comes to sustainable consumption, the transformation
imperative is clear: If more businesses adopt the principles of
sustainable consumption, we have the potential to increase global
prosperity while avoiding the depletion of our natural resources
and still preserving the ecosystems that underpin our lives."
BSR will be discussing this topic at several workshops for
members, with the next event taking place in London in September.
Access the full report at www.bsr.org/reports/BSR_New_Frontier_Sustainability.pdf.
About BSR - A leader in corporate
responsibility since 1992, BSR works with its global network of
more than 250 member companies to develop sustainable business
strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and
cross-sector collaboration. Visit www.bsr.org for more
information.