INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Green Technology
SAP report finds sustainability still challenging to implement
A report from SAP has found implementing and scaling plans for sustainability are still obstacles many businesses encounter .
Climate change , materials use , air pollution , solid waste and resource availability were the top sustainability issues business executives identified for investment , according to a new global research study sponsored by SAP . But implementing and scaling plans for action are still obstacles many encounter .
Improving the Environment at Planetary Scale : A Survey of Business Drivers and Actions explores steps businesses are taking to improve the environment and the challenges they face .
Based on feedback from more than 7,400 business executives , spanning 19 countries and 16 industries , the survey also found :
• The greatest percentage of respondents ( 29 %) said industry regulations were an underlying reason for investing in environmental issues . However , 27 % cited strengthening society ’ s approval of their organization as a strong underlying reason , while 26 % cited risks to company reputation .
• CEO and board commitment as well as governmental regulations tied as top motivator . Revenue and profit growth were close seconds , demonstrating that environmental actions are influenced by internal as well as external pressures .
• Uncertainty as to how to embed sustainability into business processes and IT systems was seen as the greatest barrier to implementing plans for action , at 35 %. Aligning the proposed
BUSINESSES NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ARE IMPORTANT NOW .
actions with overall business strategy ( 34 %) was second and difficulty proving ROI ( 33 %) followed .
• Only 21 % of individuals surveyed said they are completely satisfied with the quality of the data for environmental issue areas , with the primary reason being lack of confidence that data is complete and covers the required scope .
“ The results of this study show that 83 % of businesses do not believe that environmental impacts are material to their business right now ,” SAP Chief Sustainability Officer , Daniel Schmid said .
“ Businesses need to recognize that environmental issues are important now . With an increasing percentage of consumers focused on values and ethics of the businesses they buy from , we have an important responsibility to help organizations better understand the business impacts of the climate crisis , overcome the barriers identified in this report and accelerate their pace toward climate action .” p
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