The recent Colmar Brunton Better Futures Report 2021 shows that sustainability transformation is underway globally, including in the realms of waste-free retailing, reducing carbon emissions, and working collaboratively to achieve sustainability goals.
Notably, many New Zealand businesses have responded with sustainable initiatives and a greater sense of purpose. The Report notes that brands with a strong purpose grow faster than their counterparts.
And despite a challenging 2020, New Zealanders’ commitment to living more sustainability continues to build, including after an awakening around the harm of plastic consumption and waste.
Most New Zealanders are trying to do the right thing on an everyday basis. Although no one is perfect, individuals are taking steps to recycle and donate, repurpose or repair items to avoid purchasing new ones. As the report states, New Zealanders have realised their actions can make a difference to the environment, highlighting the need for businesses to communicate more clearly about their commitments to a more sustainable world.
Of course, as with all challenges, there are barriers to taking sustainable action, including expense, knowledge and time. However, as international markets have shown, there are financial rewards for eco-minded brands and value in producing ethical and sustainable variations of the norm.
The Report noted several brands that are doing well to build their sustainable credentials with New Zealanders, with 75%+ respondents agreeing that brands like ecostore, Trade Aid and Fairtrade are leaders in sustainability.
Speaking to Good about why sustainability is integral to ecostore, Group CEO Pablo Kraus says:
“Since 1993, we’ve been thinking about the environment. About how we build a business driven by the desire to do good, to make products that are safer for both people and the environment. At ecostore our purpose is to make the world a safer place, one person, one home at a time. A world where safe, sustainable, ethical products are the norm. We believe businesses need to step up and recognise that they can and must be a force for good. Climate change and plastic pollution are two of the biggest challenges we face in the 21st century. At ecostore we tackle this holistically through our operations, how we choose our partners, how we source our materials, and what we do about the lifecycle of our products . When I think about my children, I think about the future, about how the world must change and about the influence we can have to shape the future we want. We must lead by example, empower others, take action, and make changes now.”
The Report also highlighted the need for brands to make sustainable options affordable and empower individuals to know that their actions can contribute to the greater whole.
Find out more about the Report here.
