THE CARBON TRUST has launched a new report highlighting the need for businesses to urgently assess their reliance on scarce resources in order to future proof against potential limitations.
Business resource challenges such as the increasing scarcity of land, energy, water and materials are quickly intensifying. For example, there could be a 40% gap between available water supplies and water needs by 2030, and some critical materials could be in short supply as soon as 2016. According to the report businesses are not addressing these issues.
The report also says that businesses which adapt their models through assessing their exposure to such resource constraints can identify how to manage potential risks, and improve efficiency, strengthen long-term resilience, and drive business returns.
Tom Delay, Chief Executive at the Carbon Trust, said: “Our report clearly shows that businesses which proactively put sustainability inside their operations have the potential to drive business value by reducing exposure to the resource crunch. To protect our economy, our environment, and the resources available to future generations, we need today’s businesses to recognise the severity of these threats and to adapt their business models for future growth.”
Some of the UK’s leading companies, such as Whitbread, are already working with the Carbon Trust to proactively assess their exposure to resource constraints. The report finds that these organisations are bringing bottom line improvements through efficiency gains, and are also expected to have long term advantages far outweighing the more immediate costs.