The McKinsey Quarterly reported earlier this year on environmental management-related findings from a McKinsey survey conducted in June 2010. The 1,576 responses from executives in a wide range of industries, regions, and functional specialties indicate climate change and energy efficiency as the most important environmental matter in their companies, but also indicate an increasing concern about biodiversity.
The article titled, “The Next Environmental Issue for Business,” suggests that biodiversity may be the next large environmental issue for companies. The June 2010 survey found that 9 percent of the respondents think biodiversity is an important issue. This finding is similar to what a survey in 2007 found related to climate change and energy efficiency. The suggestion here is that if biodiversity has the same trajectory as climate change and energy efficiency, then by 2013, biodiversity will be a significant strategic and management issue for companies.
A significant number of respondents indicated they felt that in the next one to three years, they would have increased pressure to change operations, products, and services to reduce impacts on biodiversity.Overall, the survey found the following regarding the environmental and sustainability issues most important to respondents:
Something for EHS/S professionals to consider is how their current risk assessment practices are capturing potentially large future issues such as biodiversity. Is this even a topic or issue in the current risk management equation in the company?
A strong EHS/S management system and corresponding audit program can help identify such future issues. A technique that some companies have found success with is using scenario thinking techniques during strategic planning events to identify issues such as biodiversity and help make connections between these issues, strategic plans, and execution.
© Redinger EHS, Inc. (2010)