We all have a responsibility to do our part, big or small, to halt the unsustainable development of our planet. Actually, no other reason than that it is the right thing to do should be needed. At the same time, we must be realistic. In areas where the greatest potential for emission reductions lies, and thus also the greatest responsibility, other perspectives weigh heavily. Industry might be the clearest example. Transitioning its way of production, with technologies and factories that may have been in operation for decades, comes with a price tag.
Especially in times like the ones we have just been through, with a poor industrial economy in Europe, it has been clear that perspectives other than purely economic ones have had to take a back seat. Sustainability initiatives have been paused, and for those that haven’t come to a complete halt, the directive has been solely to reduce costs. Even though there is knowledge that both internal sustainability goals and regulatory pressure are looming, there hasn’t been a short-term opportunity to prioritize.
Now, there are cautious signs that we are heading in the right direction. Something is sprouting. If it does turn upward, it’s heartening to see reports like the ones in the above news, which show that it doesn’t need to be a contradiction between being sustainable and profitable in the future. On the contrary, companies that invest in sustainability may be the ones seeing the strongest growth. Green initiatives yield black numbers.
Jessica Eklöf
CFO
This is the concluding comment of Sekab newsletter, this time by Jessica Eklöf, read all our newsletters here