2Sustain

The Aberdeen Group has released a new report that shows more and more companies these days view positive social and environmental performance as inextricably tied to their vision of long-term viability and success. In fact, “The 2009 State of the Market: Mid Year Insights Report” compiles survey results from 1,607 executives from 36 countries and identifies sustainability as one of the top five priorities in 2009. Interestingly, however, survey respondents did not equate sustainability with “green” or environmental initiatives. Instead, the top performers in the survey have used sustainability to drive tried-and-true business results, including bottom line cost reductions, enhanced brand value, optimized performance, and competitive advantage.

Here are a few key findings from the report:

• 84% of all survey respondents already have (65%), or plan to have (19%), executive leadership for their company-wide sustainability strategy.

• 71%  reported that dedicated sustainability budgets are either being maintained at current levels (34%) or are being increased (37%). Only 3% of respondents indicated that their sustainability budget will decrease.

• Sustainability-driven top performers in the survey have benefited across the value chain, reaping rewards such as bottom line cost reductions, enhanced brand value, optimized performance and an improved ability to attract and satisfy customers, trading partners, and talent.

This Aberdeen study points to an encouraging trend: the continued importance of sustainability, even in the current economic climate. If you are interested in more details, the full report is available for purchase at http://resources.aberdeen.com/2009AberdeenReport.