Many businesses still have no sustainability strategy

Surveys with business leaders from across the food and homeware industries have revealed that nearly half of homeware organisations (40%) do not have a sustainability strategy in place at all. 

This compares unfavourably to the food industry, where 80% of businesses report having an environmental plan.

According to SCALA, who conducted the research, a lack of understanding around the scale of businesses’ carbon footprint may be why environmental planning has taken a back seat, with only 18% of businesses surveyed having accurate measures in place to identify how the challenges of Covid-19 have affected their businesses environmental impact. 

In addition, almost a third of businesses (32%) have no measures in place to monitor the total impact of their operations. 

This means that a significant number of businesses have no idea of the extent of their carbon footprint. 

The shift to online shopping has resulted in additional transport, packaging, and warehousing needs – many of which have an additional environmental impact. 

Two-thirds (67%) of businesses surveyed reported an increase in transport requirements, 34% reported an upsurge in the usage of warehouse space and 50% reported having seen a rise in packaging costs since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Concerningly, while up to 90% of an organisation’s carbon emissions are generated through its supply chain, the research also goes on to suggest that only 40% of homeware manufacturers have tasked their supply chain and logistics function with decreasing their environmental impact, compared with 100% of the grocery businesses surveyed, indicating a potential lack of awareness in the industry around how to go about reducing their emissions profile.

Commenting on the research findings, John Perry, managing director at SCALA, said: ‘Both businesses, and their wider supply networks, are coming under increasing pressure to quantify and address their carbon footprint as part of the environmentally-conscious society in which we live. Given this, the fact that so many organisations still do not have a formal strategy in place is both surprising and concerning.

‘The vast majority of organisations’ carbon footprint can be traced back to their supply network, meaning that companies serious about reducing their environmental impact long-term must take steps to measure and address emissions generated through their supply chains. Only then can we begin to put strategies in place that will have the genuine, long-lasting impact we need.’