In some parts of the world, it feels as though a level of normality is
returning. Indeed, in my hometown in a London suburb, the streets feel
busier as many restaurants and bars open, albeit with social distancing measures
in place. And in the workplace, some offices are gradually reopening their
doors, with workers across the country starting to return.
But the ongoing pandemic and imposed isolation has changed us and our culture.
As we edge closer to recovery from
COVID-19, we must
think about what practices we have embraced while in lockdown that we want to
take forward — particularly when we think about the wider world around us.
According to research conducted in April 2020 by the think tank
RSA,
only 9 percent of Brits wanted a total return to “normal” after
lockdown;
51 percent had noticed cleaner air and 40 percent felt a stronger sense of local
community during the crisis.
It is time to act on these views and think seriously about how we can fulfil the
urgent need for a more sustainable future. Even prior to the crisis, I spent my
days discussing how data companies could work with B2B and B2C manufacturers and
suppliers to improve corporate and global sustainability. Now, these
conversations continue but with a far greater urgency. Key decision makers see a
path for a more sustainable future and are more committed than ever to tackling
climate change; reducing single-use
plastic;
and, by extension, improving visibility in global supply chains to help build a
cleaner world.
Protecting the present, and the future
The fact that we have seen with our own eyes the positive impact a global
lockdown has had on the environment is not the only thing fuelling this sense of
urgency. The world’s leading biodiversity experts strongly believe that the
destruction of the natural environment has been a driving force behind the
outbreak.
An article recently published by the
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services (IPBES) claims that the “rampant deforestation, uncontrolled
expansion of agriculture, intensive farming, mining and infrastructure
development, as well as the exploitation of wild species have created a ‘perfect
storm’ for the spillover of diseases from wildlife to people.”
It continued by warning that unless we stamp out the root cause of the
destruction of the natural world, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to be followed
by even more deadly and destructive disease outbreaks. It is therefore crucial
that as we return to a sense of normality, we think seriously about how we ramp
up our collective efforts to deliver a more sustainable, circular
economy.
Extending the efforts of industries
Understandably, COVID-19 has put immense pressure on businesses — which have
been forced to reimagine operations, business models and the broader way in
which they work. While this has led to tough decisions, it has also allowed for
an unprecedented wave of purpose-driven innovation that has helped not only
ensure business continuity, but also alleviate the crisis.
Take for example the group of UK-based Formula 1 teams who raced to support
VentilatorChallengeUK, with the likes
of Mercedes and McLaren coming together to manufacture respiratory
devices. Or tech companies such as Apple and
Google,
and SAP and Deutsche
Telekom,
which have teamed up to develop Coronavirus tracking tools. Clearly, the sense
of “local community” that consumers noted extended to businesses as well. These
efforts must not be overlooked, but we must now build on this momentum to change
our future.
Starting with supply chains
A key starting point must be the ways in which businesses operate, and at their
core is the supply chain. Of course, as we continue to face uncertainties, we
need to adapt to the evolving situation by creating resilient supply
chains;
connecting buyers and sellers to ensure supplies are available when and where
they are most needed — from PPE through to food items.
However, there is a real need to accelerate and establish the adoption of
circular practices and processes that maximise the use of existing resources —
this will play a key role in building a sustainable future. This is needed now
more than ever; since last year, 92 percent of the 100 billion tonnes of
materials used by people were extracted from the ‘natural’ environment, as
opposed to only 8 percent that came from materials already in use.
Put simply, our earth cannot sustain this level of consumption without the dire
consequences we have seen and continue to face if action is not taken. To put
this into perspective, a dependency on new resources impacted the PPE crisis we
witnessed in the
UK and the
US,
to name a few. While UK critical care workers, for instance, have struggled to source PPE
equipment, we had enough existing materials to produce over £1bn of the PPE
need. In short, we need to commit ourselves to using what we already have —
which is, in fact, a lot.
There is no doubt the pandemic has been a turning point in the way businesses
move forward. I am personally encouraged by the urgency that has been applied to
the conversations I have been having, with organisations realising that they
must commit to delivering a more sustainable future. It is clear that by
focusing on finding their higher purpose, right down to the intricacies of their
supply chains, businesses can help manifest the sustainable future that we need.
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Head of Sustainable Business Innovation, EMEA N
SAP
Stephen Jamieson leads sustainable business innovation at SAP, helping the world’s largest companies transform to be more sustainable and ethical through system redesign and adoption of digital technologies. This is in support of SAP's vision to accelerate the move towards a restorative and regenerative economy.
Published Aug 18, 2020 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST