Benefits to businesses of pursuing sustainability

Competitive advantage

73 percent of corporate leaders believe customers are attracted to sustainable companies

Sustainability branding is valuable currency. A study by McGraw Hill Construction found that 73 percent of corporate leaders expect to attract and retain customers as direct result of their sustainability efforts. McGraw Hill Construction (2010). Green Outlook 2011: Green Trends Driving Growth.

Branding

42 percent of consumers are willing to pay extra for products and services from sustainable companies

Green branding also affects sales. A 2013 Nielsen survey found that 42 percent of consumers were willing to pay extra for products and services produced by companies committed to positive social and environmental impact.

Employee recruitment and retention

Millennials want to work for companies making a positive contribution to society

For companies that want to recruit the best and brightest Millennials, a 2014 Deloitte survey of 240,000 Millennials found that they "want to work for organizations that foster innovative thinking, develop their skills as leaders and make a positive contribution to society. But many Millennials find business lacking in these areas."

Employee morale

Only 31.5 percent of employees are engaged at work

According to a 2014 Gallup poll, only 31.5 percent of U.S. employees are “engaged” at work. Gallup defines engaged employees as those who are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace. Over 50 percent are not engaged and 17 percent are actively disengaged. Workplace programs that engage employees, like green teams, increase enthusiasm and commitment which in turns improves employee productivity.

Employee productivity

When employees work in healthy buildings they are more productive.

Increased access to daylighting, improved indoor air quality, and control over the temperature of an individual's workspace are just some of the ways to improve physical health and mental focus.

27 percent reduction in headaches

16 percent more productive

“Companies that adopt more rigorous environmental standards are associated with higher labor productivity—an average of 16 percent higher—than non-green firms.”

— Delmas, Magali A. and Pekovic, Sanja (2012). Environmental standards and labor productivity: Understanding the mechanisms that sustain sustainability.

“Scholarly research into the health effects of ergonomic design have established a definitive link between improved lighting design and a 27 percent reduction in the incidence of headaches, which accounts for 0.7 percent of the overall cost of employee health insurance.”

— Aaras, A. et al. (1998). Applied Ergonomics. Musculoskeletal, Visual and Psychosocial Stress in VDU Operators Before and After Multidisciplinary Ergonomic Interventions, p. 335-354.

10-25 percent better mental function and memory recall

18-25 percent reduction in allergies and asthma

“In terms of health care costs, building retrofits which improved the indoor environment of a building resulted in reductions of: communicable respiratory diseases of 9-20 percent; allergies and asthma of 18-25 percent; and non-specific health and discomfort effects of 20-50 percent.”

— Fisk, William J. (2000). Health and Productivity Gains from Better Indoor Environments and their Implications for the U.S. Department of Energy.