The business case in sustainable living

WE know of a lot of businesses that have closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Conversely, small and medium enterprises are consistently looking for new opportunities to invest in. As a matter of fact, the pandemic opened new opportunities for many of us, especially in the areas of food, logistics, and health and wellness, among others.

Sustainability is also a big word these days and a relatable one, too. In fact, in a special issue published in 2021 of the Journal of Cleaner Production focused on achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), younger generations, such as millennials and Generation Z, are found out to be more sustainability-oriented in their behavior and decision-making. The paper's co-author, Shinji Kaneko, also a Hiroshima University professor, further quipped that, "In 2030, the younger generation will be the central working force in society and is expected to make real efforts to create a sustainable future and likely play a substantial role in achieving the SDGs." This translates to "corporations being able to incorporate the SDGs into their strategies and seriously contributing to those if they want to attract younger people to buy their products or services or to work for them."