OPINION: The business opportunities in doing good

DELHI, India - June 5, 2015 - PRLog -- We live in a rapidly changing world. Here in Marlborough the pace of change may be modest, but in many parts of the world it is a very different story. Here we may have a stable population; however other regions, particularly in developing countries, have rapidly growing populations. Also in these developing regions there is a huge movement of people from the rural towns and villages into the cities, as they search for employment, education and a better life.

These factors combined result in exploding cities. The demand for housing, basic infrastructure and services like health and education to accommodate these people is massive. The demand for energy, water and food is rocketing, as are the resulting waste streams being generated. Billions are moving out of poverty into middle class and want a taste of a high protein western diet.

At the same time we live on a planet with a changing climate. Weather patterns are changing and weather extremes are becoming more extreme. Bigger floods followed by worse droughts. Fiercer hurricanes and higher tidal surges. In developed parts of the world like Europe and North America, they are investing into energy efficiency and really transitioning away from traditional Hydrocarbon energy sources.  We live in a world where more people have cell phones than toilets. So access to the internet is widespread in almost every region of the globe. Now there is also the 'Internet of Things' which is joining things together.

There is a rapidly growing move away from the traditional linear economy (take, make, use, dispose) towards a circular economy. In this there is no such thing as waste, energy comes from renewable sources etc. One of the founding principles of the circular economy is that it, "Provides new opportunities for innovation across fields such as product design, service and business models, food, farming, biological feedstocks and products".

The transition from 200 years of unsustainable to a (hopefully) sustainable future is underway in many areas of the world. The rubber is starting to hit the road and money is starting to flow. Huge amounts of money. Things are really changing out there. However achieving this change is a massive task and a very difficult challenge. It is also becoming clear that the pace of change is not fast enough and the pressure is building to go up at least two gears. The scale of what is needed is mind boggling, and so are the opportunities to be involved and grab a piece of the action. The chance to secure new business whilst doing good for the people and planet.

There are tremendous opportunities available to businesses that can help deal with the challenges others are facing. In their 2012 report 'Expect the Unexpected: Building business value in a changing world' The global business consultant KPMG state, "The central challenge of our age – decoupling human progress from resource use and environmental decline – can also be one of the biggest sources of future success for business." Some examples they provide of markets which will develop just within the next decade are: Circular Supply Chains: US$ 1 Trillion/year Smart City Solutions: US$400 billion/year Energy efficient Retrofits: US$127 billion/year Renewable Energy: US$8 trillion/year So companies with ideas, solutions and sustainable supplies of materials are highly sought after. Connectivity allows easy collaboration globally.

Others are seeing these opportunities and taking advantage of them. Dutch engineers are being sought after worldwide to give engineering advice on how to hold back rising sea levels. The Danish are constantly increasing capacity to make enough windmills to meet demand. The Swiss are wanted by others to help with running efficient city infrastructure systems such as public transport & recycling. The Germans are often the preferred choice for the equipment and machinery needed. None of these countries could be thought of as low cost, so clearly price is not a barrier, but ability to do the job and provide value for money is increasingly the winner.

Here in New Zealand, what can we offer to be part of this action? Some examples that come to mind; we are good at efficiently producing high quality food and beverages as well as natural resources like timber, salt, wool etc. We must understand however that there are limits to what nature can provide and our land and oceans are our asset. We must keep control of these assets so they are used sustainably and will still be productive for our future generations of kiwis. We are good at thinking creatively to develop innovative solutions to new problems. We are good at designing buildings and infrastructure which are tough and resilient against wild weathers, battering oceans and shaky grounds. We are good at educating our young people. There is a demand for these things in other regions.

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We are also good at speaking English, the international business language. This is a skill we often take for granted, but Italians, Germans, French, Spanish etc. are envious of us. Doing business anywhere requires good communication, and in a global marketplace, good English is a real asset.  As a small isolated country, we are a perfect testing ground for new innovations. We can iron out the bugs away from the eyes of the world, and launch with confidence.

Marlborough has all the fundamentals needed to be a very successful region. We have a port, an (expanding) airport, road and rail links, good schools and access to centres of higher education. We have supplies of raw materials like timber and diverse industries with a wealth of knowledge. In Blenheim we have ultra-fast broadband and have ample flat land around to accommodate expansion.

The world is changing, money is flowing and there is world of opportunity out there to generate new business by helping others become more sustainable. Let's get together and collaborate. Team Marlborough as a member of Team Kiwi, working together to offer help to Europe, to Asia, to the USA and to Latin America.

We can secure some of this business so our region will prosper, new jobs will come, our future will be more secure and our kids don't have to leave town.  We should start now.

Source: stuff.co.nz