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Sustainability is all the talk these days, but it might be just that—talk. A whopping 93% of retail executives believe technology can make it possible for their companies to reach sustainability goals, but only slightly more than half (54%) know where to start, according to a Harris Poll survey of 1,491 executives commissioned by Google Cloud.
What’s the deal? ESG practices are top of mind for retail executives: 71% said they’re making ESG a priority, compared to the 64% global average of leaders across industries.
- For comparison, 59% of retail execs said driving revenue and/or growth is a priority.
“That higher level of visibility also means that the environmental footprint of retail is often under the microscope, from sustainability of fashion and product packaging, to the complexity of resource-intensive supply chains,” Carrie Tharp, VP of retail and consumer solutions at Google Cloud, said in a statement.
In reality…Despite these stated intentions, some sustainable practices aren’t all that widespread. Only 36% of retail execs said they operate a recycling program, as opposed to the 42% of execs across industries.
+1: As for retail execs’ other top priorities, 65% said evolving business strategies, while 63% went with retaining and attracting talent.—KM