In Asia especially, sustainability as a concept was usually associated with corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, but the conversation is slowly shifting towards how sustainability can be integrated into business strategy. In times of crisis, there is a risk for “sustainability” to fall behind in businesses, when companies prioritize cash flow, employee well-being and overall business continuity. However, sustainability is not just for increasing a company’s brand value but has implications for business continuity and resilience in the coming years.
This was the theme of a virtual discussion organized by Flipkart, a leading e-commerce site in India, as part of their Sustainability Action Summit 2020, featuring WBCSD India Director, Joe Phelan and Anna Warrington, India Director, Forum for the Future.
Flipkart also recorded a podcast a day before the session – bringing together a wider range of experts from the MacArthur Foundation, Dalberg, The Sustainability Trade Initiative, Fair Trade India and The Climate Group, along with Joe and Anna to discuss sustainability in business and mapping a return to a new normal post the COVID-19 pandemic. The speakers discussed the urgent need to build transparent and resilient supply chains and fair practises, the importance of a circular economy and the radical shift from our old systems and behaviours. You can listen to the complete podcast here.
