Sustainable Practices

The Lingering Impacts of the Pandemic

By Robert Yehling

What have been the social and environmental impacts of the pandemic — and how they are impacting development agendas and sustainable practices?

This has been a burning question the past several months, as governments, businesses and consumers attempt to navigate an economy that is hot in some places, cold in others, and dealing with logistics, shipping, packaging, material supplies and labor issues.

During the fall, a Sustainability Leaders Survey was published, focusing on the attitudes of nearly 700 experts from 70 countries on the impact of the pandemic for sustainable social and environmental development agendas. New research from GlobeScan and the SustainAbility Institute by ERM that, while the pandemic has already succeeded in drawing more attention to environmental issues (as the recent COP26 summit in Scotland proved), it is also deepening socioeconomic challenges such as poverty and inequality.

According to the survey, experts are generally more optimistic today than a year ago that sustainable development will move forward at an accelerated pace. Events like the moderate list of agreements and pledges 130 nations made at COP26, and the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill with its $500 billion of baked-in environmentally positive measures, certainly reflect that. But just a year ago, almost half of sustainability professionals (49 percent) predicted that corporate sustainability agendas would be de-emphasized over the coming decade due to the coronavirus. Today, however, just one in four experts (24 percent) believe that is still the case.

In other words, we are getting back on track with global sustainable practices. In some cases, organizations are being forced to do so by conditions on the ground, such as the supply chain crisis and shortage of materials like building products and microchips.

However, according to the survey, COVID-19 is perceived to be exacerbating socioeconomic challenges. Of the surveyed experts, almost 40% see increased poverty and inequality as a likely effect of the pandemic — which is easy to see, since it’s already happening in many poor African, Asian and Latin and South American countries. The busy cycle of damaging storms is not helping, either.

Speaking of which, the experts named climate change as the most pressing sustainable development issue. Others in the top five were access to energy, food security, diversity, and discrimination.

“What we’re seeing as a result of the pandemic is a triple whammy of interconnected social, economic and environmental challenges,” said Mark Lee, Director at the SustainAbility Institute by ERM (Lee was featured in the Fall 2018 issue of Sustainability Today). “None of these can be tackled in isolation, which requires organizations to have more comprehensive sustainability strategies integrated into their business and operating models. Leading businesses are showing the way as we enter the decade of action.”

Who is leading the way in sustainability leadership during these challenging times with their models and practices, as we try to slow climate change, ramp up the global economy and do it sustainably at the same time? The two top companies should be no surprise: Unilever ranks first for the 11th consecutive year, with Patagonia second for the fifth straight year. Ranking third is Brazil’s Natura & Co, followed by IKEA and Interface. Rounding out the top 10 are Danone, Microsoft, Nestle, Tesla, and Orsted. Among US companies, Google is 11th and Walmart 15th.

The bottom line: Companies will likely spend 2022 continuing to navigate effects of the pandemic but will do so while also upgrading their sustainable business practices. ■