Photo by Tina Witherspoon on Unsplash
Three out of five consumers in a recent survey said socially responsible or sustainable products made up at least half of their last purchases. Called “Balancing sustainability and profitability: How businesses can protect people, planet, and the bottom line,” the study was conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV).
“That was an extraordinary study that coincided with our own studies with what consumers want in cabinets,” says KCMA CEO Betsy Natz talking about the KCMA ESP program. “In the IBM study, 51% of respondents said environmental sustainability is more important to them today than it was 12 months ago, and half of the consumers were willing to pay a premium for a sustainable brand or sustainable products. It matched almost exactly with why we developed our Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) for KCMA members who were seeking to give consumers reassurance that corporate responsibility for our planet is reflected in the products they manufacture.”
The KCMA ESP program was developed to help members gain ESP certification through a rigorous process that follows the ESP Guidance Document and ESP 01-20 standard. Using points like other programs that members accumulate through their activities (i.e., LEED®), the KCMA ESP program puts members on the front lines of sustainability, requiring 70 points for certification and compliance with two mandatory requirements.
