Print.IT Reseller - issue 92

PRINTITRESELLER.UK VOX POP 43 Having a customer base that cares about the environment is also a plus for any company, as it allows it to confidently say that it engages with those who care about the planet economic profit. An additional Epson survey of over 4,000 people found that 86 per cent of gen Z and 79 per cent of gen Y are paying more attention to the environmental and social credentials of the brands they engage with. “Having a customer base that cares about the environment is also a plus for any company, as it allows it to confidently say that it engages with those who care about the planet.” Pietro Renda: “Protecting the environment is a collaborative effort, and everyone has a role to play personally and professionally. “The younger generation possibly have a greater appreciation of their environmental responsibilities than, say, the current workforce, for whom it has become an important C-Level issue only over the last few years. This is promising because over time, it means workplaces will feature even more environmentcentric teams. “We can, therefore anticipate that employees will not just be looking at the career opportunities an organisation offers, but what it is doing to help create a cleaner, safer environment for everyone on the planet. Equally, we can see scenarios in the future where a company’s environmental credentials will be as important a factor when deciding which organisations to work or partner with.” Steve Holmes: “I think everyone is now more aware of their personal and professional obligations to the environment. Good practice on that front is flowing in both directions from the home to the workplace, reinforcing positive behaviour that, long-term, benefits the environment. “With that as a backdrop, I believe that individuals and organisations will be scrutinising the environmental practices and behaviours of organisations and brands before they align themselves with them. In the same way that many companies won’t conduct business with those that exploit workers or turn a blind eye to poor pay or poor work conditions, we are seeing more customers putting sustainability at the top of their purchasing requirements than ever before. It’s moving from what was previously a ‘tick-box’ exercise to now being a key purchasing decision.” Dave Prezzano: “Strong environmental performance lends itself to competitive advantage. The measure of success for every company today is tied to empowering progress for the planet and its people – if you are not acting as a pioneer right now, you will be passed by very quickly. In everything we do as a company, we look to see how it can affect the planet, people (internally and externally) and profit. HP’s commitment to sustainable impact has become a difference maker for the business, driving more than $1 billion in new sales for the second year in a row, and becoming a competitive advantage in our goal to be the most sustainable and just technology company by 2030.” Sam Johnson: “Acting sustainably is becoming far more commercially advantageous. We’ve worked with partners on tenders where up to 40 per cent of the scoring has been weighted towards sustainability and we expect this trend to continue as environmental concerns increasingly shape decisionmaking among the public sector, businesses and consumers. “There’s also a fast-growing market for solutions that enable customers to act more sustainably by cutting waste and using less energy. The print IT sector is fulfilling this with devices that work into the circular economy and have a longer machine life. So, being sustainable is equally as important as providing green solutions in leveraging this competitive advantage.” Trevor Northfield: “Yes definitely. For a start it reduces your costs but we have also found that by having good processes (for example how we handle our recycling) it also encourages a culture of good processes across other areas. The net gain is a better quality service for our clients while reducing our costs at the same time.” Trevor Northfield: “Most of our customers and staff take sustainability very seriously, and we believe that our commitment to our efforts can make the vital difference in a close pitch. If everything else is equal, I believe in almost every circumstance a responsible company will win a client or a member of staff over another organisation who behaves less responsibly. We are always striving to make sure Sharp remains a great place to work and sustainability is a crucial part of that strategy.” Sylvie Thomas: “Sustainability is of course important to our employees and customers. People want to align themselves with businesses and partners who share a common goal. It’s only through working together with our partners and customers that we can achieve our goals of reducing carbon emissions.” Boris Manev: “COP26 proved that there is a clear overwhelming global consensus on the ethical and environmental importance of tackling climate change. These strongly held beliefs understandably influence the choices people make in their day-to-day lives, including where they shop and who they want to work for. “Our own recent research study of 2,000 consumers found that over half (53 per cent) are no longer buying products from brands they deem to be unsustainable, proving the importance of placing sustainability high on the agenda to secure long-term consumer support. “Younger generations in particular attach a high value to companies seen to have a purpose beyond simple continued... PrintIT Reseller: Does strong environmental performance provide a valuable source of competitive advantage? What, if any, business value have you seen from your sustainability efforts? Boris Manev

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