Sustainability as a Business Advantage – How Your Company Benefits from Taking Responsibility

Here we explain why sustainability as a sales argument works, and what it takes to make it credible.

The market rewards sustainable products

The numbers are clear: consumer goods with sustainability claims grew by 28 percent cumulatively over a five-year period, compared to 20 percent for products without¹. Consumers are increasingly choosing companies that can demonstrate they take responsibility – and they're willing to pay for it.

Svensk Handel's sustainability survey confirms the picture: consumer expectations that businesses should drive sustainability forward have shifted markedly over the past decade². It's no longer about impressing anyone – it's about meeting a basic expectation. And for those of you already working with sustainability: make sure you're communicating it too.

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Large companies are now beginning to require sustainability performance from their suppliers – and 42 percent of large enterprises report having already switched suppliers due to insufficient sustainability data³.

The share of customers actively requesting measurable sustainability data has risen from 23 to 31 percent, and among investors the equivalent figure has gone from 20 to 29 percent⁴. For those of you supplying larger companies, the message is simple: without documented sustainability work, you risk not even being in the running.

It doesn't have to be complicated. With the right tools, you can automatically collect and compile your climate data from your existing systems – and have it ready when a customer or investor asks.

Sustainability is a way to attract the right talent

81 percent of millennials say companies need to do more to help consumers make sustainable choices⁵. That affects not just what people buy – it affects where people want to work. Employers with a clear and genuine sustainability focus have a real advantage when recruiting, and it's one that only grows stronger as new generations of talent enter the workforce.

The key is that sustainability can't just live in a PDF on the website – it needs to be integrated into how you actually run the business.

Lower risk, better financing terms

Companies that fail to adapt to climate risks could lose up to 7 percent of their profits per year by 2035, according to the World Economic Forum⁶. Waiting is itself a risk decision that increases the company's vulnerability.

Banks are also beginning to treat companies differently depending on how far along they are with their sustainability work. This affects access to capital and credit – and those who have come furthest simply get better terms⁷. Sustainability is, in other words, not just a branding argument. It's a way to future-proof the business financially.

Greenwashing is a real threat – transparency is the solution

Sustainability only works as a sales argument if it's credible. Vague claims about being "climate-conscious" or "working toward a sustainable future" no longer hold up in corporate communications. Consumers, customers, and journalists are more critical than ever – and greenwashing damages a brand harder than never having communicated on sustainability at all.

What works is concrete figures. Actual emissions. Documented targets. Ideally third-party verified. That's when sustainability stops being just an argument – and becomes evidence that builds both credibility and brand.

How to start using sustainability as a sales argument

The first step is actually knowing where you stand. Without a map of your emissions – scope 1, 2, and 3 – it's difficult to communicate credibly or set relevant targets. It's also difficult to answer the questions that customers and procurement teams are asking with increasing frequency.

Many companies believe this requires a major project with external consultants and months of work – but the right tools can connect your existing systems – invoices, receipts, bookkeeping – and automatically calculate your climate impact. No extra work. No spreadsheets. And no need to be a sustainability expert with an intimate knowledge of the GHG Protocol.

Three quarters of SMEs globally consider sustainability very important or extremely important to their business⁸ – but the challenge is that many don't know where to start. That problem is solved by GoClimate's sustainability platform.

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See how GoClimate helps you measure, understand, and communicate your climate impact – fully automatically. Book a demo →