22 opinion
@ green | November-December , 2020
Will the new normal be ‘ green ’?
When the storm has passed , we may revert to our previous wasteful ways
Pale Blue Dot ...
By KHOO HOCK AUN
Over the longer term , sustainability will be the new business reality . Investors , financiers and markets are willing to listen to business leaders and entrepreneurs who have incorporated Environmental Social Governance ( ESG ) values into their plans and operations .”
The Covid-19 pandemic lockdown hurt the global and Malaysian economy . It drew predictions about how a new normal would reduce humanity ’ s massive global footprint in terms of GHG emissions , biodiversity loss , environmental pollution and climate change .
The early phase of the lockdown in Malaysia recorded dramatic improvements in air quality with fewer emissions over the Klang Valley . But with controlled Covid-19 case numbers , the gradual easing in the following months provided relief as Malaysians were able to go out for their business and social activities again .
We are all creatures of habit , and once our guard was down , a second wave erupted . This time in response there were targetted efforts to stamp out outbreaks where they occurred .
Malaysians by now regarded the re-imposed measures such as limited movement , social distancing , wearing masks and limited numbers for gatherings enforced under penalties of fines , more of a nuisance than a necessity .
News of successful trials for the Covid-19 vaccines provided light at the end of the tunnel and a pathway back to economic recovery .
Technology and the new normal
Of course , a few of the technologies that were useful over the last eight months , especially digitalisation , were already there before the pandemic . Still , companies and consumers did not readily embrace them earlier .
E-commerce surged , coordinated with last-mile logistics and delivery services , along with online learning and video conferencing for meetings . It seemed that the virtual option of working and learning from home was going to be part of the new normal .
There was also renewed interest in agriculture , especially urban agriculture , to address food security creating mini-booms in the plant nursery businesses supplying urban and home gardens .
Enterprising laid-off employees ventured into the food catering and delivery businesses . Home-cooking spurred the bakery supply businesses which were taking more orders than they could handle .
However , the travel , hospitality , entertainment , event management industries or any of those that counted on crowds in closed places were severely affected . The airline sector was not spared , and Air Asia has attempted its grand strategic pivot to digital businesses .
The collective impact was that real estate as a sector would be rethought and repositioned in the new normal . Demand for office space and retail malls were already declining even before the pandemic .
Eventually , physical urban developments and transportation systems would be redesigned to adapt to lower levels of commuting to work and with the emergence of the shared and gig economies .
Green new normal
When these changes are forced upon us by necessity , our compliance may only be temporary . When the storm has passed , we may very well revert to our previous wasteful ways .
In Singapore , a survey conducted by the National University of Singapore found that during the two-month circuit-breaker period of stay-home curbs , an extra 1,334 tonnes of plastic waste , equivalent to the weight of 92 double-decker buses , were generated from takeaway and delivery meals .
A new normal for businesses and social behaviour is certainly not assured , especially if conditions revert to pre-pandemic days . A Green new normal is an even more distant aspiration if business viability , employment and putting food on the table become urgent priorities for the nation .
As 2020 comes to a close , bread-winners and parents are uncertain as to how 2021 will look like . They wonder if they can weather the challenges of the economic downturn now taking place on a global scale .
Yet , in challenging times such as we are in now , real opportunities do present themselves . While some thrive and some struggle , all businesses have a chance to reposition and also to re-tool themselves on a more environmentally and socially sustainable premise , by adopting new technologies and suitable business models .
Over the longer term , sustainability will be the new business reality . Investors , financiers and markets are willing to listen to business leaders and entrepreneurs who have incorporated Environmental Social Governance ( ESG ) values into their plans and operations .
The private sector has also shown renewed interest this year in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ). Champions of green businesses have to step up , declare their vision of why green is good .
The Green new normal will ultimately manifest when both businesses and customers realise and are themselves genuinely motivated to achieve it . — @ green
Khoo Hock Aun believes in encouraging thought leadership in sustainability innovation and achieving a fundamental green ethos shift in the business community .