SUSTAINABILITY FLUSHING SUSTAINABLITY I


ncreased legislation and greater consumer awareness is changing the face of corporate sustainability. No longer a buzzword, sustainability has become a key pillar for businesses of all sizes; a way to stand out in competitive markets, an opportunity to make a difference. Purdie Proudman, channel marketing manager at Geberit says that good sustainable performance used to be a ‘nice to do’ – now it has become a moral obligation, promoted by governments and demanded by consumers worldwide.


“The drivers are clear,” she says. “In August 2021, a report by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying, and some trends are now irreversible, at least during the present time frame. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the Working Group’s report was “a code red for humanity”. Collectively, we must do more.” -However, the shift is also being driven by consumer habits too. Proudman reports that IBM research shows nearly six in 10 consumers are willing to change their shopping habits to reduce environmental impact. According to this, nearly eight in ten respondents said sustainability is important for them and of course this translates into property markets, whether homebuyers purchasing from sustainable developers or big businesses taking office space. Improving eco performance also offers wider benefits, such as reduced risk, lower costs and greater employee engagement/retention.


“On top of this, we are driven by legislation. The UK was the first major nation in the world to have set a target to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 and this has placed greater pressure on organisations to consider their own sustainability performance,” she says.


There are a wide range of initiatives and objectives available to organisations to help them in achieving their goals. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), for example, are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General


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THROUGH THE SUPPLY CHAIN With a greater focus on sustainable supply chains and increased consumer awareness of eco performance from brands, innovation is more important than ever.


products help overcome? Can they be recycled? “By helping customers to select the most eco-conscious solutions, merchants can help to deliver better sustainable performance throughout project lifecycles – and support customers in staying at the forefront of sustainable building practices.”


Innovation


Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030.


Proudman adds: “However, for any organisation to really make a difference, they must consider supply chain sustainability too. Particularly in the construction sector, which accounted for 38% of total global energy- related CO2 emissions in 2019.


“Merchants clearly have a role to play here. As demand for more sustainable projects continues to grow, the important thing for merchants is to offer the advice and supply the solutions to help deliver that.”


She says that the greater the prominence placed on CSR, the more important it becomes for merchants to understand the sustainability credentials of their suppliers, and the products they are supplying. “How are they produced in a more environmentally friendly way? What building sustainability challenges do the


Proudman explains that all of this, of course, relies on the continued development of new, innovative and more sustainable solutions from manufacturers. “Recognising the drivers of legislation and consumer demand, manufacturers like Geberit are pushing the boundaries of sustainable product development.” The key, she says, is in considering the entire product life cycle, from the provision of raw materials to disposal – working hard to ensure that each product is better than its predecessor from an ecological perspective, without sacrificing on quality, functionality or durability. “This eco-design principle spans everything from the best raw materials to responsible local production, green logistics to repairable and recyclable products. “At Geberit, a huge amount of focus is placed on delivering a closed cycle that contributes to the circular economy. In doing so – and in working with merchants to promote those benefits - we can help can support merchants, contractors and end- users in driving the sustainability of individual projects and buildings,” she says. BMJ


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net November 2021


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