Sustainability is no longer a burden or a PR term. Sustainability is an essential part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and a key area of growth for companies.
Writing for the Financial Times, head of sustainable investing at Hermes Investment Management, Andrew Parry, explained that sustainability and returns go hand in hand. He added: “The growth in sustainable investing has accelerated in recent years, particularly in Europe, as investors begin to realise that sustainability can generate attractive growth rates and certainly more resilient business franchises.”
Parry believes the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the “beta of future growth” and shouldn’t be seen as a burden.
The UN SDGs were agreed in 2015, with each of the 17 goals having specific targets to achieve over the next 15 years. The goals aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. They include: zero hunger; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation, and infrastructure; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; and climate action.
These goals aim to provide solutions for unmet needs in global society. According to estimates from the UN, an additional $3tn of capital will need to be raised every year to meet the targets by 2030.
Businesses Shouldn’t view sustainability as an unnecessary cost
Parry notes that innovative companies addressing social or environmental deficits view the figure as an exciting growth opportunity, and this mindset should be adopted by all.
Not only can a sustainable approach help the environment, but it can also help businesses and economies. In China, it is estimated that pollution reduces total GDP by 9%, and a comparable figure is also applicable for India.
While Parry was met with initial cynicism when planning to hold a talk on sustainability at a conference in Singapore last year, his talk turned out to be one of the most popular sessions from the two-day event. So, it is clear that people want to listen to and engage with sustainable practices and the impact it can have on business growth.
3 Step IT Comment
Technology is advancing at an incredible rate, and it is helping to make companies from all industries and of all sizes to become more productive and competitive.
However, with technology cycles becoming ever shorter, it’s important that businesses employ a refresh strategy that has sustainability at the heart of it.
At 3 Step IT we’re obsessive that efficiency and value work hand in hand with sustainable solutions, so it’s great that these thoughts have been echoed by Andrew Parry.
Working with our customers, we have been able to re-use 98% of IT equipment that is returned to us. We data erase the equipment and give it a second life, pushing it back in to the economy.
Sustainability is a win/win for everyone
- Businesses can refresh technology in a way that showcases their commitment to CSR
- There is less e-waste, which means reduced impact on the environment
- As a society – The equipment is typically sold into the education sector, giving them access to affordable technology
This approach is very much ‘Circular’ and it allows businesses to use our IT lifecycle services to ‘access’ technology, rather than own, which leads to greater profitability and sustainability. Ultimately the business ‘accesses’ the technology for the optimum time before it starts to hinder on performance and consequently competitiveness.
It’s a revolutionary shift from ‘Make-Take-Dispose’ to ‘Make-Take-Reuse-Recycle’. We work with over 3000 customers, who have made this shift and are enjoying the benefits.
If you want a sustainable IT solution, speak to us and we can show you a demo of how we make all of this a reality.
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