SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS: The way to improve industries
“How wonderful it is that nobody needs to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
Anne Frank
The concept of sustainability emerged from the United Nations report “Our Common Future,” where Sustainable Development was defined as: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their own needs.”
In recent decades the movement to return to the earth and recognize its needs for a better and more sustainable world has been critical in developing industries. For this reason, the paradigm shift is inevitable and irreversible and has been a trend in recent years.
Progressive change has different bases and stages. The first thing we must know is what is the difference between traditional businesses and sustainable businesses, what are their points of contact, and the dilemmas that develop to find conscious solutions in the three primary aspects of sustainable economies:
People, Planet, and Profit (TBL – Triple Bottom Line).
The fundamental difference between a Sustainable Business Model (SBM) and a Traditional Business Model (TBM) manages the natural, social, and economic resources in its operation. The TBM has an expenditure that is accounted for but has a more significant impact that generates an accumulation of irreversible damage and, in the long term, generates more losses than gains. Simultaneously, the SBM seeks to reduce the impact on its resources with policies and actions that lead to developing a more conscious community.
But how do you begin to change and develop practical actions? The United Nations, in its report “Our Common Future,” proposes three essential aspects previously written that are the basis on which all sustainable businesses should be developed or want to become sustainable. These aspects are known as the Triple Bottom Line (TRF), which consists of all plans, strategies, and actions that comprise a progressive and definitive reduction of resource consumption.
The change in thought from the Companies takes place from the configuration of the value proposition elements, from value creation and delivery, and the value of capture in the business model with a more social vision given the economic growth and the reduction of the environmental impact. Corporate responsibility also plays an essential role in this transformation to be part of a community that lives in harmony with its spatial and social environment.
We often see that companies feel uncertainty when making decisions regarding the path to sustainability since the implementation of different necessary actions suggests a high cost in its financial structure. We must consider that the costs of running a sustainable business in the long term are lower, while the profits and savings are greater. Some examples we can see are FedEx, Walmart, and Dupont, among others, where that precise decision-making directly impacts the company’s social and economic benefits generating higher profits.
SYNGENTA
This agrobusiness, in 2011 changed its business direction to generate value for its agricultural clients by helping them develop their businesses to create long-term relationships with them.
This strategy is directly related to their CSR program called Good Grow Plan, where they seek to “feed the world sustainably”.
The basis of its change to a more sustainable model consists of supporting farmers and training them in cleaner and more environmentally friendly practices, as well as making them participate in the technological developments reported in biotechnology from its department of innovation, research, and development. In this way, they also incorporate new applications that are economically sustainable.
STARBUCKS
A decade ago, the American Company developed various efforts to stand out in the implementation of sustainable architecture in its stores. Since 2015 when they opened their first LEED-certified establishment they committed to open the next stores with the same certification.
The objective of this new approach, beyond reducing costs in resources and generating environmental benefits, also seeks to generate a unique experience in the user, since by adapting to local spaces each store has a unique aspect that relates it culturally and generates a sense of relevance in the community, becoming a big differentiator in the market.
Following this path, we have decided to be part of this movement and chose to be strongly committed to social responsibility, technological transformation, and environmental recovery, having as allies strategic companies that support us with their expertise in building a sustainable business.
Our business model adapts state-of-the-art technologies to environmental initiatives and green living. This allows the development of homes with low environmental impact and high experiential value, where you can have a style of conscious living, with luxury designs and amenities aimed at your well-being.
We are also participants in the social and economic development of the areas in which we develop our projects, ensuring our surroundings’ cultural and ancestral integrity, generating more conscious and more human communities.
Let’s support sustainable businesses that are committed to the change for a better world.
