Drivers for sustainable development

If SRI/ESG is able to push companies to rethink their activities and business models, it certainly already makes a contribution to sustainable development. The question that remains is does SRI turn out to be the key driver for sustainable development To be able to answer this question, one would need to have metrics actually measuring this impact. Research in this area is still in its infancy and a lot remains to be done. In this regard, however, it is worth mentioning two recent initiatives going in this direction. 

Interestingly, each of these major drivers also represents one of the three dimensions of sustainability, namely Profitability (affordable energy), Planet (climate change) and People (social stability). No single energy solution seems to address these three dimensions satisfactorily. It appears therefore inevitable for mankind to progress towards a complex and delicate mixture of energy sources and carriers to properly balance the three Ps of sustainable development. 

Indeed, sustainability will be one of the main drivers for innovation in order to allow the technical industries to care for the well-being of consumers in a safe and healthy environment (Hofer and Bigorra, 2007). In this particular context, sustainability is defined as the design of human and industrial systems to ensure that humankind s use of natural resources and cycles does not lead to a diminished quality of life owing to either losses in future economic opportunities or adverse impacts on social conditions, human health, and the environment (Thomas, 2003). These requirements reflect that social conditions, economic opportunity, and environmental quality are essential if society s development goals are to reconcile with... 

One of the major drivers for this change is fierce competition from emerging countries, vrhere large quantity production is cheaper and potentially more fiexible. New competitive business models should be thus based on novel manufacturing technologies and a holistic approach to process development, vhere sustainability through chemistry, safety and respect of the environment are the driver for innovation and not the elements slowing do vn the development, the cultural model that has often dominated the business in the past. 

In the early applications of chemicals, the methods used for disposal were, in general, performed without consideration of the environmental impact. However, as the volumes of chemicals increased and the consequences of such practices became apparent it was necessary to develop non-polluting methods for the disposal of all chemicals, including solvents. New approaches were required which not only would benefit the environment but also the user, the chemical industry and society as a whole. Sensible legislation is the key driver to achieve a balance between use and impact minimisation. Sustainable development is achieved by establishing performance criteria, cooperation, commitment and by auditing compliance. 

Many companies now incorporate the desire for sustainable practice into company policy, and this culture change is seen as an important driver for generating innovative and environmentally considerate solutions (EDANA, 2015). As research and development into new materials and processes continues, it is expected that the relative price of biopolymers and biodegradable polymers will reduce, thus broadening the range of nonwoven applications they are expected to be found in. It should also be reiterated that the use of nonwoven materials would go some way to minimising the... 

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