Why sustainable business practices matter

As environmental concerns mount, today’s businesses must recognise the need to embrace sustainable business practices and play their part by implementing eco-friendly policies.

In today’s world, sustainability is the word on everyone’s lips. Organisations across all sectors are coming to terms with their responsibility to prioritise sustainable business practices and enact reform. 

Some organisations may have been slow to make the switch to eco- friendly policies, but the benefits of adopting sustainable business practices are numerous. 

Organisations that commit to a greener way of doing business will not only fulfil their ethical obligation to reduce their environmental footprint, but also appeal to the demands of today’s consumers and motivate their own employees.  

Why businesses should implement sustainable practices

For many organisations, implementing sustainable business practices isn’t a core focus. Tackling broad concerns such as sustainability can be complicated and intimidating, leading executives with competing priorities to shy away from the issue. 

In addition, busy staff members may find it difficult to spare the time to brainstorm, design, and enact plans to go green. If a team is already stretched to their limit, improving an organisation’s sustainable image will be a difficult task to manage. 

However, it is up to business leaders and executives to make a commitment to sustainability at their organisations. While the immediate
financial benefits may also be difficult to predict, betting on our planet
is a project that will only bring benefits. As well as this, the reasons to do
so make it a clear choice. 

Sustainable business is a shared obligation

It couldn’t be simpler – we are all under the obligation to play our part in improving our environmental footprint. No matter how big or small our organisation or household, everyone can make changes to become more sustainable.

The clock is ticking on our planet. In Europe, almost 26 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated every year, according to the European Commission. In addition, they have reported that 87% of Europeans are worried about the impact of plastic products on the environment. Due to their spheres of influence and position in their local community, our businesses must do their bit to improve the environmental impact of their actions.

At Kyocera, sustainability is one of the pillars of our philosophy to do the right thing as a human being. This philosophy guides our innovations and motivates us to provideworld-class technology that not only addresses our customers’ challenges, but also ensures that we leave our environment intact for future generations.

Our philosophy is what led us to launching the very first cartridge-free printer back in 1992 and the reason for which we continued to develop our line of eco-friendly devices, ECOSYS, in addition to helping businesses digitise their paper documents and work more efficiently through software solutions such as Kyocera Cloud Print and Scan.

Consumers engage with sustainable businesses

No matter the industry, today’s consumers are more motivated by sustainability than ever. By making sustainability a key part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), an organisation is likely to sway the opinion of an indecisive client in their favour. 

The World Economic Forum has discovered that almost three-quarters of
Generation Z consumers would be willing to spend more to acquire sustainably-produced goods. In addition, a Deloitte study found that over two-thirds of a mixed group of participants would be willing to pay more, up to 41%, in fact, for products that were sustainable. 

While the financial benefits of adopting sustainable practices are clear, a business should take care to avoid the trap of “greenwashing” when marketing their products as more sustainable. Today’s consumers not only care more about giving their business to ethically produced goods, but they are also more conscious of when a company is failing to walk the walk in their green messaging.

If businesses commit to sustainable practices that reduce their environmental footprint and actively improve the world around them, they
are more likely to count on a loyal client base.

Inspire your employees with eco-friendly initiatives

In addition to appealing to clients, businesses can also make the most of their efforts to be more sustainable to appeal to their own employees. 

Many modern businesses have been left seeking new ways to retain their staff in the wake of ‘The Great Resignation’, a period in which numerous professionals resigned from their steady jobs in search of better opportunities that aligned with their values. A recent report carried out by Economist Impact, supported by Kyocera, discovered that one of the pillars key to a workplace’s attractiveness is culture. 

Part of this culture centres around an organisation’s values and mission statement. In short, an organisation that makes a clear, proactive commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly initiatives is more likely to
inspire its workforce than one that fails to do so. 

The road to sustainable business success

By making a change today and enacting sustainable practices in the workplace, you can pave the way towards sustainable success. If you’re ready to embark on the challenge of going green, Kyocera can help.