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Sustainable corporate strategies - example: Web design
Sustainable corporate strategies are aimed at various aspects of sustainability: ecological, social and economic sustainability. The focus of ecological sustainability, for example, is on conserving resources and reducing energy consumption. The Social sustainability focuses on fair working conditions and inclusion. Economic sustainability, on the other hand, aims to ensure the long-term profitability of a company.
Holistic, sustainable corporate strategies therefore always take all these aspects into account wherever possible. The web designer Max Prügner from near Chemnitz says: "Making business models sustainable should be the goal of every company - no matter how small. Nowadays, customers should always have the option of choosing sustainable products. This benefits me as an entrepreneur, the customer, the environment and society in equal measure."
He also integrates this approach into his daily work. When he works with clients to create a concept for the design of a website, he also takes sustainability aspects into account. The better a website is optimized, the fewer resources it consumes. Unnecessary codes or plugins, on the other hand, make the site slow and thus also increase energy consumption.
If a website is also hosted by a hosting provider that focuses on sustainability, e.g. by operating its server farms with green electricity, this is a further step towards sustainability. In this way, Max Prügner can also make offers to its customers with a high level of environmental awareness - depending on what is important to them - and does not exclude any customers from its offer.
Sustainability and growth are not mutually exclusive
Sustainability is often associated with high costs, which is why many companies shy away from taking the step towards greater sustainability. Sustainability has growth potential, and this is precisely where German and regional companies can start - and stand up to the less sustainable Competition from China claim. In the meantime, politicians have also realized that sustainability can become a German flagship for which customers are quite willing to pay.
In particular, companies from the Far East, which flood the European market with less sustainably produced goods, will find it more difficult to access the EU market. Domestic companies have the opportunity to establish themselves as sustainable and benefit from this in the long term.
It is foreseeable that companies that pursue sustainable corporate strategies will be better off in the future. For example, a study recently published that many banks now also take sustainability into account when granting loans to companies. Consider climate and environmental risks. Companies that do not have a sustainability strategy could therefore find it even more difficult to finance their business with outside capital in the future.
Sustainability as a further competitive criterion
Companies that offer sustainable products appeal to an ever-growing target group: People who want to live in an environmentally conscious way and leave the smallest possible ecological footprint on the earth.
Sustainable corporate strategies give a company a positive image, which means that more potential buyers are also willing to buy from it. Not only that: in times of a severe shortage of skilled workers, a sustainable company can also attract more skilled workers and retain its talent for longer with a solid sustainability strategy.
If a company appeals to a broader target group on the one hand and specialists on the other with its sustainability approach, it massively increases its competitive advantage. It not only wins more customers, but also retains talented employees who drive sustainability in the company even further with innovation and creativity. This creates a dynamic in which a company can only win.
