40 www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com


GREEN MEANS GR WTH for Glasgow’s businesses


consumer focus on the importance of sustainability, businesses of every shape and size are under pressure to improve their green credentials. But when your focus is business growth, is it the right time to be thinking about becoming more sustainable? If recent results from FMCG giant Unilever are


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anything to go by, the answer is – categorically – yes. At the beginning of May, they announced that 70 per cent of revenue growth in the previous year came from ‘sustainable living’ brands. What’s more, those brands grew almost 50 per cent faster than the rest of the business. The company has publicly stated its intention to ensure every product in its portfolio has the lowest possible environmental impact. And it’s not alone. Over the last month, Barclays, Lloyds and the Royal Bank of Scotland have all launched financing schemes to help businesses meet costs related to green projects.


Food behemoth Mars has revealed plans to shift its


Australian manufacturing plant entirely to renewable energy in just over a year, as part of its plan to reach carbon neutrality around the globe. And AT&T, the


ith just two years to go before the first of the Scottish Government’s environmental targets hit their deadlines, and an increasing


largest telecoms company in the US, declared its intention to implement a zero waste policy at 100 sites by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, closer to home, the VIBES Scottish


Environment Business Awards judging panel is preparing for its first session. They’ll be selecting the shortlist of entrants who could be joining last year’s winners – which included John Lawrie (Aberdeen) Ltd, Paterson Arran Ltd, Sibbald Ltd and the Glenmorangie Company – as Scotland’s champions of sustainability.


It’s clear that businesses at home and around the


world are solidly focused on sustainability as a key tool for business growth. But why? “Sustainability increases business competitiveness,”


says Kirsty Platt, Sustainability Specialist at Scottish Enterprise. “Green practices create consumer trust. In fact, there’s evidence that people are willing to pay more for green products and services. So it’s a key part of business growth. “A lot of major businesses now have sustainability at their core, and they want to work with others who share those values. So in addition to increasing consumer and customer confidence in their green credentials, businesses have to demonstrate their commitment to environmentally-sound practices to stay in the supply chain.


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