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The Importance Of Technology And Innovation For A New Era Of Sustainability

The recently published UN Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study 2010 is a great example of sustainability research. Nearly 1,000 CEOs, business leaders, members of civil society and academic experts have contributed to what is the largest CEO survey on sustainability of its kind to date.

According to the study the sustainability landscape is changing. In the course of their survey and conversations with CEOs, there has been a fundamental shift since the last Global Compact survey in 2007.

Back then, sustainability was just emerging on the periphery of business issues, an increasing concern that was beginning to reshape the rules of competition. Three years later, sustainability is truly top of-mind for CEOs around the world.  As a result, 93 percent of CEOs see sustainability as important to their company’s future success.

The ways in which CEOs are addressing sustainability issues are also changing. The study reveals three key ways in which approaches and strategies are shifting as we move toward a new era of sustainability:

1. The consumer is (or will be) king
2. Importance of technology and innovation
3. Collaboration is critical

Particularly, the second key way is extremely important for the IWMS industry. According to the study:

CEO’s are aware of the critical role that innovative, leading-edge technologies are playing in advancing the sustainability agenda—in areas such as climate change (e.g., using smart technologies such as grids and meters); and in terms of increased transparency through social media platforms.

Ninety-one percent of CEOs reported that their company would employ new technologies (e.g., renewable energy, energy efficiency, information and communications technology) to help meet their sustainability goals over the next five years. (Source: UN Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study 2010)

These results indicate that in the next few years IWMS vendors can expect significant investments in advanced IWMS technology aimed at improving organizational sustainability.

Are you ready for it?

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