Introduction
Sustainability is good business practice. Companies that have developed solid sustainability strategies, long-term vision and ambitious targets fare better than those that have not prioritized this value. As compared to like organizations without such initiatives, sustainably-driven companies generally have higher employee retention rates, build strong brand loyalty through alignment with consumer consciousness and, as a result, yield better stock returns.
Practically, sustainability should be applied at every level of the organization – from sourcing to product development and manufacture to employee protocols and customer outcomes, as the benefits of good corporate citizenship go far beyond just ‘doing the right thing’.
While there are numerous examples across the business spectrum detailing the payback, some of the most tangible results from intentional sustainability efforts center on the advantages of increased efficiency in production environments. In the industrial setting, efficiency and cost savings driven by improvements in system performance are inherently sustainable, delivering a solid return on investment (ROI).
In continuous operations, such as alternative energy wind and solar farms or data centers, the return is quick since systems are perpetually on. So, even a few percent efficiency gain provides a much faster payback than, say, on an automated production line that may run a single shift.
In either case, elevating the efficiency equation has become a competitive necessity, a bottom-line booster and an energy conservation element of sustainable operations.