Going green can be profitable for corporations while serving its corporate social responsibilities

For a whole new generation being “green” is much more than being part of the hippy culture and for corporations it is a matter of running businesses consciously. Our planet is getting fragile by the day due to less availability of portable water, increased landfill by non-recyclable garbage and global warming due to increase in green house gases.

According to a research by Industrial ecologist Sangwon Suh of the University of Minnesota, service sector--such as banking, hospitals, computers and retail stores, amongst other businesses account for more than one third of industrial greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and this might be the case around the world. With such a big stake, it is time for the retail sector to adopt green practices. Currently retail companies have not focused much on such initiatives as it involves upfront investments in new recycling units, researching for bio-degradable packaging materials, overhauling existing structural materials for a more efficient building materials and introducing energy saving lighting systems and cooling systems.

But the benefits that accrue by going green will far outweigh the costs in the long run. For one, a new generation of people that consists of Generation Y and Generation Z are more conscious of the environment and are prone to buy eco-friendly products. According to a survey by AMP Insights[1], 69% of Gen Y will consider a company's social and environmental commitment when deciding where to shop, and 83% will trust a company more if it is socially/environmentally responsible.

In fact they will be willing to pay a little extra as well. Research by Maritz designed to track Gen Y’s brand awareness among several popular clothing retailers predicts that 47% percent of the respondents are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly services, products or brands. Out of this percentage, the vast majority (77 percent) cited their “care about the environment” as the reason behind their willingness to pay more, with other qualifiers, such as “it’s the right thing to do” (21 percent) or “so that people know I’m environmentally aware” (2 percent) trailing behind. No wonder Wal-Mart consumer’s adoption for green products increased by 66% in 2008 compared to 2007[2].

Apart from tapping into a new segment of consumers, some retailers have improved their bottom-line (profits) by employing eco-friendly practices as well. IKEA Canada has reduced its energy consumption in its stores by 25 percent by implementing new energy management practices and technologies while Wal-Mart stores cut its energy use by 30% by incorporating energy-management systems[3]. Aldi the fastest growing discount retailer is opening up environmentally friendly stores with the aim of a 30% reduction in its utility footprint[4].
Not to be left alone, major consumer product companies like Estee Lauder, Whole Foods, ConAgra, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever have also teamed up with packaging providers to develop sustainable packaging that uses recycled and renewable content, to reduce raw materials in weight and volume, and promote the use of biodegradable materials[5]. The reduced size and use of lesser quantity of materials will help manufactures reduce the cost of products sold. According to Carbon Trust, an independent company set up by UK government, a 20% cut in energy costs represents the same bottom line benefit as a 5% increase in sales. No wonder, Wal-Mart has asked its suppliers to cut packaging by 5% by 2013. This they say will take the equivalent of 213,000 trucks off the road saving 66.7 million gallons of diesel[6] besides improving their profitability.

With such monetary benefits, it is the right time for retailers to take the green initiatives. Some of the areas where retailers can focus are
1) Implementing energy management systems that offers control and monitoring of building services performances and allows for settings to be changed quickly and easily.
2) Going for LED lighting
3) Using advanced refrigeration systems that require less conventional refrigerant and experience lower rates of emission.
4) Increasing overall recycling of solid waste from stores apart from reducing reliance on plastic and paper grocery bags and finally
5) Use of building materials that reduce leakage of heated or cooled air from the store.

For retailers, social responsibility and green initiatives can go hand-in-hand resulting in more loyal customers while managing costs. It is important that as responsible citizens retailers take a pledge to go green and what a better day to do so than today being the World Environment Day.

Sources:

[1] http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-10-23-gen-next-cover_x.htm
[2] http://www.bluemapinc.com/resources/WalmartGreen.pdf
[3] www.environmentalleader.com/2008/08/27/wal-mart-canada-stores-to-cut-energy-use-30
[4] www.gourmetretailer.com/gourmetretailer/content_display/news/e3i71ba0ba389e5e5bea8e3f4fef9fd25bb
[5] http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/05/29/con-agra-pg-among-honorees-for-sustainable-packaging/
[6] http://walmartstores.com/FactsNews/NewsRoom/8628.aspx