BUSINESS & The “Profit and Planet” Question

Forward looking businesses are now considering the “profit and planet” question – the essence of business sustainability:

How, profitably, to satisfy the needs and aspirations of customers, consumers and shareholders today – in ways which maintain our planet’s resources and stability systems – to secure a continuing basis for business opportunity and general prosperity tomorrow.
^{© 2006-2007 Richard Poynton}

Typically, the initial response of an alert business is to consider one, or more of the following questions:

Can the resolution of these challenges generate business opportunities?

SHORT ANSWER: Yes. Pioneer companies testing answers to the “profit and planet” question, are finding reinvestment in their natural capital base to be desirable in conventional business terms, because it brings new business opportunities and major cost reductions.

Remanufacturing end-of-life products and materials into top-quality, updated replacements, is a major step towards the new business opportunities of sustainable production and consumption. Remanufacturing reduces the “take” of virgin materials per $, €, or £ of added value provided. It also reuses the other embedded inputs which are often a large part of the residual value of recovered products and materials. Remanufacturing may also eliminate the need to repeat the whole assembly process in the production of the updated products, thereby further reducing their “carbon footprint”.

By opening new markets for low-carbon products, remanufacturing may also attract “green” investors to develop new business opportunities. Although radical, remanufacturing illustrates how resolving the “profit and planet” question can generate business opportunities which are simply not available on the “business as usual” model.

MORE:

Where have these new business challenges come from?
Why are these new challenges mainstream business issues?
In practical terms, what is required?