For the study "German SMEs value sustainability", 1,000 German companies across all sectors are said to have been surveyed on their commitment to sustainability and ESG (Environment, Social, Governance). The results would show that the chemical and plastics industries play a pioneering role. Ten out of nine companies (89 percent) practice recycling and their own waste management, followed by the food industry with 87 percent and the construction sector (81 percent). In the plastics industry, which along with the metal industry has the highest energy consumption in relation to sales, 83 percent pay attention to the efficient use of resources. Two-thirds of the companies have also set their sustainability targets in writing; in the construction or agricultural sectors, only one in five has done so. According to the study, the primary motivation for paying attention to sustainability across all sectors is "inner conviction" (80 percent), followed by the desire to save energy costs (75 percent). Finally, companies already want to meet expected requirements from legislators and customers (74 percent). According to the authors of the DZ Bank study, the last two motivations predominate in the chemical and plastics industries. The majority there would also expect their commitment to sustainability to initially involve higher costs.

Sources:

• KI (25.8.2021)
• Photo: © Fotolia / M.Schuppich