According to 2018’s Ethical Consumer Markets Report, consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of sustainability in the products they consume. As such, the international certification agency Bureau Veritas has been advising businesses to consider sustainability as a method of improving public relations.

The agency specifically identifies the supply chain as an area that could be significantly developed in the direction of sustainability. According to Financial Times, greenhouse gas emissions from the supply chain are, on average, four times the amount of the company’s direct operations. Figures like these have prompted environmental groups to urge companies like Amazon to invest in more sustainable supply chain practices, reported on here.

Bureau Veritas’ Senior Sustainability Consultant Filippo Cerini has said that consumers, investors and stakeholders alike are looking to become involved with companies who are actively striving to increase corporate sustainability. He suggests that while making the switch to a sustainable supply chain can require short-term investment and resource allocation, it has the potential to pay dividends in the long run, which could keep businesses competitive in an increasingly ecologically conscious marketplace.

The Ethical Consumer Markets report claims that the UK ethical goods market is now worth £83bn, making emerging sustainability-focused businesses an attractive option to investors.

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