A study by the market research institute Longitude finds, that private companies increasingly act on a growing sustainability pressure. The development of alternative sustainability solutions is perceived as an opportunity, rather than a burden. 83% of companies perceive sustainability as a new business opportunity, 72% observe a long-term trend and 74% are concerned that competitors could get a head start in this field.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures are stated to be highly relevant for the internal (re-)organization of firms. This includes new products or packaging solutions as well as a renewed focus on sustainable innovations. However, more than half of the companies report issues combining the new measures with financial benefits. This may lead to a discrepancy between ESG goals and profit driven approaches.

Further obstacles are the quantification of sustainability measures: Merely 18% of the companies are able to measure their own sustainable outcomes. Often there is a lack of the specific tools necessary to assess progresses and link them to profitability indicators.

The biggest issues can be summarized as finding suitable materials for packaging (68%) as well as waste management and recycling (59%). For about half of the companies the greatest benefit is seen in saving costs by reducing waste.

The study asked 200 US executives from e-commerce, retail and consumer goods. Furthermore, about 1,500 consumers were interviewed to find out more about their consumption patterns, general perceptions about sustainability and expectations towards businesses.