What does sustainable mean? Introducing marketing examples based on SDGs

In our daily lives, we often hear the word sustainable. Sustainable is a word that includes the meaning of “sustainable” and is used in business as a word that expresses consideration for the environment and society. However, many people may not know exactly why sustainability is attracting attention or how it can be utilized in business.

In this article, we will provide an overview of sustainability, explain sustainable consumption, and explain why society requires sustainable living. We will also explain examples of

marketing

activities and the SDGs, which are closely related to sustainability, so please use this as a reference.

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What does “sustainable” mean?

The word “sustainable” originally comes from the English word “Sustainable,” and now it is often used to include the word “Development,” which also means development. In Japan, it began to be widely used around 2016-2017, and is sometimes referred to as “sustainable.”

In the world, the word “sustainable” was first used to refer to the Sustainable Development Goals in the report of the United Nations Committee on Environment and Development in 1987. Since the impact that people’s activities have on the natural environment is immeasurable, sustainability is the way to think about developing everything sustainably, without neglecting the environment and society.

What is sustainable consumption?

Earlier, I explained the meaning of sustainable. Sustainable consumption is a term related to sustainability. Consumption refers to the use of all goods and resources related to our daily lives, and representative examples of sustainable consumption are as follows.

Let’s look at each in turn.

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sustainable fashion

Sustainable fashion refers to fashion that meets the following two requirements.

For example, sustainable fashion includes creating products that avoid materials derived from animals, using recycled materials and dead stock, and being environmentally friendly.

Furthermore, sustainable fashion applies not only to the people who make the clothes, but also to the people who wear them. Simply put, “wearing good clothes for a long time” is what we as consumers can do to contribute to sustainable fashion. The traditional view of buying new clothes over and over again is changing to one that emphasizes the importance of continuing to wear clothes made from good, environmentally friendly materials.

sustainable food

Sustainable food has multiple meanings, including:

In terms of the environment, there is particular interest in reducing food waste as much as possible. When food waste increases, it leads to overhunting of marine products and animals, which leads to an unnecessary increase in garbage. And energy is required to process them.

As the word suggests, sustainably harvesting seafood refers to marine resources obtained through aquaculture and sustainable fishing. It can also refer to dishes made using those ingredients.

Finally, regarding the vegetable-based diet, I do not mean vegan or vegetarian values, but rather the idea of ​​keeping animal protein intake to a minimum.

Among the above, reducing food waste and eating a vegetable-based diet are some of the ways you can start working right away in your daily life. Therefore, although you may not always be conscious of it, it is important to incorporate sustainable food into your daily life as much as possible.

sustainable housing

The Japan Federation of Construction Contractors has established the following regarding sustainable housing (construction).

Reference:

Sustainable Architecture (Japan Federation of Building Contractors)

These are shown in the process of designing, constructing, and operating housing. For example, we can create a space that does not rely on air conditioning, which consumes a lot of electricity, by blocking sunlight in the summer, making use of natural wind, and utilizing solar heat in the winter. Air conditioning uses a large amount of energy, so it is a concern as one factor that is having a negative impact on the environment. In addition, systems that use solar power generation can also be considered a part of sustainable housing.

Why society requires sustainable living

So far, we have provided an overview of sustainability and explained about sustainable consumption. From here, I will explain three reasons why society requires sustainable living.

Let’s look at each in turn.

loss of biological diversity

Human activities around the world are causing a loss of much biological diversity. In fact, many living things are on the verge of extinction. According to

the IUCN Red List

, there are over 38,500 species of plants and animals that are at risk of extinction.

Environmental (climate) change

A typical example of environmental and climate change is global warming. According to

the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report

, when comparing the average temperature from 1986 to 2015 with the current temperature, it has been found that the sea and land areas have risen by 0.85℃. It is also predicted that these average temperatures will continue to rise.

chemical cycle of nitrogen

Crop cultivation and production using chemical fertilizers and fuels releases large amounts of nitrogen compounds into nature. These nitrogen compounds are known to flow into the ocean through rivers and groundwater, changing their form, and causing groundwater contamination. It is also said that these nitrogen compounds are one of the causes of global warming mentioned above.

Sustainable product examples

Here we introduce the following three examples of sustainable products.

Although the industries are different, such as miscellaneous goods, food, and home appliances, we are working towards sustainability by taking advantage of the characteristics of our products. Let’s look at each in turn.

Miscellaneous goods: Dishcloth mixed with fallen cotton (Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd.)

Ryohin Keikaku’s leftover cotton dish towel is a product that uses leftover cotton that would otherwise be thrown away. We collected the waste from the process of making thread at a spinning factory and woven it into a 40cm square. It has excellent water absorption and drying properties, so it can be used for wiping tables and cleaning.

The ecru color that takes advantage of the material is also popular as it is easy to blend in. This is an example of how we are working towards sustainability by using materials without leaving anything behind.

Food: KitKat (Nestlé Japan Co., Ltd.)

Nestlé is committed to sustainability through packaging changes. The main product, KitKat, used to use plastic for the outer bag. From 2019, we changed from plastic to paper packaging. By the end of 2020, we had succeeded in reducing a cumulative total of 420 tons of plastic.

Also, with paper packaging, there are more ways to enjoy paper than paper, such as making it into origami or writing messages on it. It can be said that it is a product that is not only sustainable, but also offers a new way to enjoy it.

Home appliances: RYET (IKEA Japan Co., Ltd.)

IKEA is committed to sustainability by developing light bulbs that consume less electricity. RYET, a light bulb that uses LED as its light source, has successfully reduced power consumption by approximately 85% compared to incandescent light bulbs.

It maintains the same brightness as a 40W incandescent bulb, but guarantees a lifespan 10 times longer. It can be said that it is a product that saves resources while maintaining the quality of ready-made products.

Examples of initiatives by companies focusing on sustainability

Here, we will introduce the following three companies that are focusing on sustainability.

All companies work towards sustainability by setting clear goals and guidelines. Let’s look at each in turn.

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (automobile manufacturer)

Nissan Motors has had sustainability at the core of its business. Aiming to advance electrification technology and create a society that utilizes electric vehicles, we launched the mass-market EV Nissan LEAF in 2010.

In 2018, we announced “Nissan Sustainability 2022” and clarified the following three aspects as our sustainability strategy.

Furthermore, under the Nissan Green Program 2022, we have announced that we will address the following four issues.

UNIQLO Co., Ltd. (fashion brand)

Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., which operates UNIQLO, has focused on the following five areas in the environmental field.

In order to expand its sustainability efforts, UNIQLO has focused on activities to reduce marine debris. We will donate approximately 130 million yen from the sales of products made from recycled materials to the Nippon Foundation to help reduce marine debris.

We welcome the national anime character “Doraemon Sustain Mode” as our sustainability ambassador, and aim to change the future through the power of clothing.

Starbucks Coffee Japan Co., Ltd. (coffee chain)

In 2020, Starbucks declared that it would become a “Resource Positive Company.” This is based on giving back more than we take from the earth. The goal was to reduce CO2 emissions and waste by 50% by 2030.

We use FSC® certified paper, which is an international certification system that leads to the sustainable use and conservation of forests, in a wide range of paper products. Starting in September 2021, all Frappuccinos will be provided with FSC® certified paper straws.

SDGs to realize a sustainable society

So far, we have provided an overview of sustainability, but sustainability is deeply related to the SDGs. SDGs is an abbreviation for “Sustainable Development Goals” and is a set of development goals for the entire world to aim for a sustainable and better world by 2030. The SDGs target all participating countries, from developing countries to developed countries, and a total of 17 goals have been set.

Although these are national and government-led agendas, there are also companies in the private sector that are making efforts. There are many goals that are relevant to Japanese people, so it is important to consciously work towards them in daily life. In business, we also need to understand “ESG” (an acronym for the three elements of Environment/Social/Governance), which can be seen as a means for companies to engage in efforts to achieve the goals of the SDGs. Let’s leave it there.

Examples of marketing activities based on the perspective of SDGs

Earlier, I gave an overview of the SDGs. From here, we will introduce two examples of marketing activities based on the perspective of SDGs.

Let’s look at each in turn.

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Sustainable energy use

Sustainable energy includes wind, solar, and biomass. Resources such as natural gas, oil, and coal, which are currently one of Japan’s main energy sources, are limited. As a result, the problem of not knowing how long they can be used is becoming a reality.

Sustainable energy sources such as solar, wind, and water power are attracting attention. The number of companies that handle these products is increasing little by little in Japan, and choosing such companies will lead to achieving the SDGs and sustainability.

Allbirds

Allbirds is a footwear brand born in California, USA. Our products are made from natural merino wool and have a low carbon footprint. Although Allbirds was founded in 2016, it has grown into a huge company with a corporate value of over 170 billion yen.

summary

In this article, we have explained the overview of sustainability, sustainable consumption, and SDGs. Sustainable refers to the Sustainable Development Goals, and has a deep relationship with the SDGs. The existence of the SDGs is essential to realizing a sustainable society, so it is important to understand what they include.

Why not start by doing things you can do in your daily life, such as reducing food waste and wearing good clothes for a longer period of time?