DESIGN & MANUFACTURE investors are putting their money into companies that can show that they are both sustainable and profitable .”
While businesses are undoubtedly moving towards their net zero goals , are they being pushed by the court of public opinion into doing so at a rate that will prove unsustainable for many ?
“ Sustainability is an area of innovation ,” he says . “ As such it ’ s going to draw new investment and new areas of focus . There will be some amazing successes , and there ’ ll be those who struggle and perhaps those who fail . That is expected .”
He adds : “ That ' s actually a sign of something positive happening . That means risk is being taken . Things are being tried . It shows that businesses are stretching the limits of their imagination and capabilities , and in many cases , the failures will provide the largest source of continuous learning .”
Businesses want to feel good about what they do and how they do it . We can help them with this
As for the biggest barrier to sustainability , Barkman feels this is “ information , collaboration and visibility ”. “ These are the priorities ,” he says . “ Companies want to go on this journey but what they find difficult is how to get started in a meaningful way ? How do you do something with all this information ?”
He adds : “ In many cases , people will know what should be done , but putting this into action can make them feel like they ’ re stuck in the starting blocks . Once they start working around visibility across the end-to-end supply chain , though it soon becomes clear that it ’ s data where you begin .”
But the need for businesses to embark on sustainability transformation programmes will only ever grow more pressing , says Barkman .
“ Consumers want the companies , products or services they purchase and interact with to be sustainable ,” he says . “ Increasingly the products people purchase are being looked at through the lens of sustainability . I see a lot of companies making this central to what their value proposition is , as they are driving innovation . At the end of the day , businesses want to feel good about what they do and how they do it . We can help them with this .”
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