‘Competition is the cure to sustainability fatigue’ states FSG Managing Director Dane Smith; a claim that the RSA Environment Awards Forum more than supports.

 

In a recent article published on the Guardian Sustainable Business Hub, Dane Smith highlighted the need to address the current ‘sustainability fatigue’ felt by businesses following the recent Rio+20 summit. He suggested that the resolution to this could well be competition, or more precisely, the recognition among companies that helping to solve environmental and social problems can be a source of competitive advantage.

‘Competition can propel companies to embed sustainability into their core strategies. Competition encourages companies to focus research and development efforts that will result in innovation. Competition can motivate companies to pressure governments to stop grandstanding and reaffirming decades-old agreements, and start identifying practical policies that encourage innovation to create environmental good.’

Environmental Awards drive healthy competition between businesses and have long been recognised as the embodiment of the carrot approach when we hear far more about the sticks. Those awards accredited by the RSA’s Environment Awards Forum also offer entrants the opportunity to benchmark themselves against the very best companies in Europe through the European Business Awards for the Environment.

Awards have a vital role to play in facilitating the competition required to rescue businesses from this fatigue and towards increased levels of sustainability. It is this role that should be celebrated.