Fires swept through Europe this summer season, setting records for wildfire destruction.

The United Kingdom recorded the highest temperatures ever — 28 years before scientists' estimate that it would reach temperatures of above 40 degrees Celsius in 2050.

Eight to 10 tons of plastic pollution enters the world's oceans annually. According to research published by UNESCO, by 2050 it could outweigh all the fish in the sea.

Cut to South Africa and Durban, home of H+A, our POS design and manufacturing company. The city and the province of KwaZulu-Natal are still mopping up after deadly floods:
  • killed over four hundred people
  • destroyed critical infrastructure
  • swept away homes, and
  • triggered mudslides.

Estimates put the damage at over R17-billion.

But what does all this mean for profits and economic growth? Unilever's CEO Alan Jope says, "One of the most dangerous mindsets in the world is to set up a false dichotomy between sustainability and economic growth."

Post-pandemic consumers are rethinking the products and services they use. Generation Z cares more about sustainable buying decisions than brand names, as shown by a new survey by First Insight and the Baker Retailing Centre at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

A World Economic Forum article in its Shaping the Future of Consumption series points out that Gen Z's views influence other age groups to change their buying behaviour.

The report says that "spending on sustainable brands and products by Generation X — those born between the mid-1960s and mid-1970s — has increased by 24% since 2019. The behaviour of other groups has followed a similar trend".

So, are brands driving the changes or are consumers forcing brands to change? It is probably a bit of both. But what is abundantly clear is that this is not a passing trend.

At H+A, our motto is, "Use no more than you need, tread lightly and leave the smallest footprint possible." This underpins our commitment to green practices for:
  • ourselves
  • our clients, and
  • their consumers.

Committing to sustainability is a long-term investment. It cannot be half-hearted or a 'greenwash'. It is all-encompassing from how you work within your office environment to how you design and manufacture your products. It is an ongoing learning experience — one that you must stay on top of.

We should all take heed of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's point that "a circular economy challenges us to consider waste and pollution as design flaws".

We are determined to be a part of this thinking — a circular economy:
  • eliminates waste and pollution
  • circulates products and materials at their highest value, and
  • helps regenerate nature.

Wherever possible, H+A repurposes waste in a way that minimises pollution and chooses to use environmentally sustainable raw materials that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, an international certification and labelling system that promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically prosperous management of the world's forests.

What is clear is that for businesses, the climate has moved beyond 'profit vs. purpose' to 'profit with purpose'.

For more information, visit www.hewittpop.co.za. You can also follow H+A on Facebook.