GENEVA — (Marketwire) — 10/10/12 — For most of the last century, companies could pay relatively little attention to their consumption of natural resources. But rapidly increasing consumption from a larger and richer population has changed the equation, leading to increasing pressure on the supplies of a variety of key resources as well as on waste and emissions. Companies can no longer take these for granted, according to a report from The Boston Consulting Group and INSEAD. The report, “Handle with Care: Resource Management as a Competitive Edge,” is being released today.
The report is a follow-up on the previous report from 2011, “Redefining the Future of Growth: The New Sustainability Champions,” which resulted from BCG–s collaboration with the World Economic Forum. In that report, researchers identified 16 “new sustainability champions” based in developing countries that have been successful at combining the sustainable use of natural resources with profitable growth. This new report looks deeply into the experiences of these companies to yield insights into what it takes to optimize the “total return on resources.”
“Unlike most of their counterparts in affluent nations, these companies already operate under conditions of resource scarcity,” said Knut Haanaes, a BCG partner in Geneva and coauthor of the report. “They–ve had to respond in a practical way to what some Western companies see as only a far-off threat. We can all learn from them.”
The report lays out seven principles for maximizing a company–s total return on resources. These involve not just operational directives, such as embedding the effort deep into the organization and measuring aggressively. These leading companies also demonstrate how to shape the business ecosystem and come up with new business models that monetize resource management.
“More and more companies will need to find ways to break the looming tradeoff between growth and the conservation of natural resources,” adds Kim Wagner, a BCG senior partner in New York and coauthor. “This is an early look at what that–s going to involve.”
To download a copy of the report, please go to .
To arrange an interview with one of the authors, please contact Eric Gregoire at +1 617 850 3783 or .
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm and the world–s leading advisor on business strategy. We partner with clients from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in all regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their enterprises. Our customized approach combines deep insight into the dynamics of companies and markets with close collaboration at all levels of the client organization. This ensures that our clients achieve sustainable competitive advantage, build more capable organizations, and secure lasting results. Founded in 1963, BCG is a private company with 77 offices in 42 countries. For more information, please visit bcg.com.
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