Currently, companies have to deal with a variety of global challenges. The Covid pandemic is not yet over and the war in Ukraine is leading to an energy crisis. Securing the supply chain requires enhanced crisis management. The noticeable cost pressure is another stress factor. Topics such as sustainability are therefore being pushed into the background.
Sustainability in focus
A common approach to dealing with crises is to do what is urgent before what is important. Many companies have therefore changed their focus. This also leads to little external pressure to launch sustainability activities. So far, there are hardly any cases where companies have lost orders due to a lack of sustainability efforts. Although this approach is understandable, sustainability and the reduction of CO2 emissions remained the themes of the decade. Lack of transparency, standards and key figures in sustainability activities also hampers the progress. Regardless, the primary driver of sustainability efforts lies with the management.
Outlook
However, it should be noted that more and more companies are compiling sustainability reports, although not all are legally obliged to do so. The number of companies audited according to sustainability standards is also growing and public communication around sustainability is becoming increasingly popular. We recommend not to lose sight of this important issue. By revising the internal crisis management, new capacities can be created.
