Unlocking the true potential of net zero… Bringing benefits way beyond sustainability
In this article, Sarah Evans, co-founder of Cogent Action Limited argues businesses who under invest in Net Zero do so at their peril, for it represents a wonderful and very timely opportunity for meaningful reinvention and recreation, at a time when economic challenges, geopolitical tensions and social discourse are threatening to change the game.
“A Net Zero transformation is an opportunity to re-invent, to re-launch, to gain early mover advantage and take market share, securing a stronger position in a future that’s going to be wholly different from today”.
So why are so many businesses hesitant to take the leap?
In today’s hyper consumerist growth obsessed world, promoting sustainability initiatives and seeking support for net zero transition planning can still feel like you’re pushing water up hill. Despite the overwhelming and compelling need for change, even enlightened leaders, fully aware of the need to do things differently can be slow to implement the necessary measures. So why is it then, despite more than half of CEOs believing their business will be obsolete in 10 years without transformation (according to a recent PWC report), that implementing sustainable change is falling down the priority list?
Having spoken with many, many businesses, all facing the same challenges, it’s clear to see the current inertia isn’t driven by a lack of will, but more often by a lack of confidence. Net Zero is after all a much more multifaceted concept than it first appears, requiring a seismic cultural and technical shift across whole value chains. To do it right, you need to go far beyond the boundaries of your own team or business, and tackle this at an industry wide level, and that stops many businesses in their tracks, simply not knowing what to do, or in what order. No business, or leader for that matter, likes to get it wrong, and so fear of failure if often cited as a reason for doing nothing, but that lack of action is the biggest failure of all.
Ursula von der Leyen, President EU Commission is often quoted as having advised businesses to “Pursue net zero emissions passionately, for therein lies the path to lasting success”, and that sentiment underpins our own belief system. At Cogent Action we support the acceleration of sustainable business transformation because we wholeheartedly believe sustainability equals longevity, and your Net Zero transition has the potential to galvanize teams, strengthen supplier relationships, spark innovation, and deliver customer solutions that people actually want to buy, not just accept because they have no better alternative.
Let’s take it back to basics for a moment.
A business can only continue to exist if it serves society in a way that generates meaningful value for its customers, in exchange for revenue. This means, deep in the heart of every business, was once a compelling and cogent idea that delivers a benefit big enough that mankind is willing to pay for, and critically does so in a more relevant, easily accessible, and relatable way then the competition. The organizations that keep this purposeful focus, buyer need, and service mindset front and center, are well known to consistently outperform those whos’ vision has blurred over time. But how does this relate to Net Zero?
With now more than “64% of consumers trying to have a positive impact on their environment, through their everyday actions” (according to Euromonitor, Sustainability in Business report 2023), brands and retailers are feeling the pressure to make sustainable solutions available as standard. This means no more niche positioning, greenwashing, or premium pricing, it means implementing sustainable changes as standard, or even introducing nonlinear value enablers – repair, resale, for example. The brands who are leading this charge at scale are rapidly gaining popularity, particularly among particularly the younger and older consumer groups. That’s not to say, mid lifers are less concerned, simply less able to spend time searching, amid busy careers, young families, aging parents, and all the other demands of life. The brands that make sustainable options available as standard, that are open, transparent, and truthful about what changes have been made, and the material impact that is having, are the ones who will curry favor in the long run. The ‘as standard’ descriptor is really important, in that buyers don’t typically shop in neat little buckets, they have a job that needs doing, and they need a thing to help them achieve a task - the drivers of product choice are more heavily weighted to availability, access, price and whether a product does the job that needs doing, than any brand manager or CEO would like to admit. All things being equal, sustainability and environmental stewardship can be a hugely significant differentiator, and brands who are seen as responsive, agile, and innovative will always outperform among mainstream consumer groups.
At a time when a ‘cost of living crisis’, the situation in Ukraine, Gaza, and the Middle East dominates our thoughts, most brands are value engineering, struggling with surety of supply through material shortages, trade embargos, and so many other challenges, Net Zero and sustainable transformation provides an exciting opportunity to refocus on your purpose, to innovate and introduce new solutions that are future focused, low carbon and holistic, solutions that have the potential to change the game and become the new normal.
“Net Zero is not just about decarbonizing your business as it stands today, it’s about preparing for a future that is fundamentally different… cleaner, brighter, less linear, and that is hugely exciting.”
As well as bringing something new to market, that excites and energizes your customers, you will also be reminding and refocusing your team on how important their job is, in providing meaningful solutions that enhance the quality of life, and peace of mind for your customers. It’s well documented that teams who are engaged in purposeful work, collaborate more effectively, deliver operational savings through reduced wastage and time off, and at the same time drive top line growth, enhancing customer loyalty and instinctively going the extra mile to exceed customer expectations.
Organizations with highly engaged teams achieve more growth than the benchmark.
Taking the opportunity that a Net Zero Transition provides allows businesses to rethink, refocus, reset, and reenergize. You are no longer stuck with “the way it has always been”, this is the chance to shake it up. An opportunity to return to local manufacture, reducing shipping time & Co2 emissions associated with moving product. A chance to automate, or to implement new materials that simply didn’t exist when your product was first conceived. Net Zero is an opportunity to take back control, to collaborate with like-minded organizations, to really focus on what your customer needs and wants, and to deliver something exceptional, that you can be truly proud of.
Cogent Action is born of a desire to support businesses wanting to do something different. Having spoken with hundreds of sustainability managers struggling to make the transition from a reporting function to an innovator, and many business leaders who are looking blankly at a carbon footprint and saying “ok, but what do we do with this information?”, we built and continue to evolve a supportive and collaborative consultancy service with the sole aim of empowering and accelerating change.
We start with training - helping to demystify the sustainability jargon, tackle climate anxiety among your teams, and provide clarity and focus on what Net Zero transformation can mean for your business. We support compliance and regulatory requirements through access to data, insight, and reporting, but most excitingly for us, we support innovation and collaboration through encouraging the proactive pursuit of a cleaner, healthier, more resilient, low carbon, regenerative future, for the long term. We fundamentally believe in the power of business as a force for good, and that the future needs a thriving economy just as much as a healthy planet.
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