What if Kermit Got it Wrong?

What if Kermit got it wrong?

Maybe it is easy being green? Or at least easier than we thought?

Is it possible that applying sustainability strategies can actually improve the bottom line of a company?

Bob Willard, owner of the Sustainability Advantage in Whitby, Ontario answers with a resounding, “Yes”. In fact, he says, “Addressing the environmental footprint of a company can improve their bottom line by 51 to 51%”. 

Business has a vested interest in how challenges such as climate change, industrial pollution, food insecurity, and natural resource depletion play out.  For example, severe weather resulting from climate change can impede physical access to markets, and scarce resources can impact prices.

Addressing these challenges can be done, he suggests, simply by implementing existing and proven best practices.

In a recent keynote addressed at the Pathways to Sustainability conference in Olds, Alberta, the author and former executive with a 34-year career at IBM, advises it is doable as well as financially attractive for businesses to emphasize the reduction of energy, waste, landuse, pollution etc.

On the other hand, if a company fails to address the reduction of their footprint, their profit will be in jeopardy by 16 to 36%.

Bottom line is that being green is not a sacrifice. More than a save-the-world strategy, it might just be a save-the-company strategy.

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