Last month, Business For Social Responsibility, a not-for-profit association of companies whose mission it is to promote a just and sustainable world, recently published a report called “The New Frontier in Sustainability: The Business Opportunity in Tackling Sustainable Consumption.” The report was made in an effort to encourage business leaders to think about what sustainable consumption might look like.
The report addresses whether business opportunities exist for companies that give poor and middle class people what they want in a sustainable way. The report points toward a few:
- In fast growing emerging markets, companies can create “different ways to improve well
being” that enable “the leapfrogging of resource-intensive infrastructure in favor of
light materials and digital services.”
- Sustainable consumption also creates market opportunities for companies that use
information technology to deliver positive outcomes for consumers.” Examples: Smart
buildings, smart homes, a smart grid.
- Companies have an opportunity to appeal to “the rising generation of consumers” who are
“likelier to favor products whose sustainability attributes are clear.”
Click here to read the report.
