GO GREEN, get rich. Firms that become environmentally friendly will profit the most.
"Companies that adapt quickest to the new environmental realities are the likeliest to thrive," says Kaveh Zahedi of the United Nations Environment Programme.
In a report released this week, UNEP identified the threats and opportunities posed by environmental degradation to 10 business sectors. Threats include disrupted supply chains, for example. But a changing environment offers new areas to expand into, such as creating more resilient products that withstand severe weather. It also provides more opportunities to gain customers by offering sustainable products.
Last year, researchers compared 180 companies and found that the more environmentally friendly businesses were more profitable in the long run than their less-sustainable competitors.
This article appeared in print under the headline "Green pay-off"
- Subscribe to New Scientist and you'll get:
- New Scientist magazine delivered every week
- Unlimited access to all New Scientist online content -
a benefit only available to subscribers - Great savings from the normal price
- Subscribe now!
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.
Have your say
Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.
Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article
All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.
If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.
