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their bottom line. By using renewable energy, for example, businesses can reduce emissions in the short term and, as renewables become cheaper than fossil fuels, enjoy lower costs that will help them thrive in the longer term. In this way, regenerative business can end the tug of war that many businesses perceive between profitability and sustainability, helping companies achieve their green objectives and improve their bottom line While individual businesses and organisations play a crucial role in addressing the execution gap, truly transformative change necessitates collaboration within, and even across, industries. Cross-industry partnerships offer a fertile ground for the exchange of ideas, resources and best practices. By pooling resources and expertise, we can also overcome financial barriers and accelerate the adoption of regenerative technologies and practices. Moreover, cross-industry collaboration facilitates innovation, whether it’s developing renewable energy solutions or implementing carbon‑capture technologies. Technology is another powerful ally in the quest to close the execution gap. By harnessing AI-powered analytics, for example, we can gain deeper insights into our environmental impact and in the same breath. THE ROLE OF COLLABORATION identify opportunities for improvement. This will allow organisations to make the most effective changes and assess how these changes will help them achieve their green ambitions with far greater accuracy. AI-enabled analytics and scenario modelling can also help companies optimise their energy consumption, predict and prevent supply chain disruptions and monitor and mitigate
upstream and downstream carbon impacts across the supply chain. In short, AI facilitates data-driven decisions that can drive efficiency, reduce our environmental footprint and put us on the right path towards having a net‑positive impact. LEADING THE TRANSITION By combining a regenerative mindset with the adoption of technology and cross-industry collaboration, we can start closing the execution gap here and now. This will not only help safeguard the planet, but also allows us to position ourselves as leaders in the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient future. We are in the most crucial decade of our lifetime, where decisions will be made and actions taken that will have a huge impact on generations to come. To create the future we want, we must recognise the need for urgent action here and now, while keeping
in mind the long-term perspective of creating regenerative businesses that will continue to have a positive and sustainable influence on our planet and societies.
Angela Hultberg is global sustainability director at Kearney, where she supports clients in the consumer and retail, automotive and transportation industries on their sustainability journeys. Previously, she was head of sustainable mobility at Ikea and, in 2021, was named road transport lead for the COP26 Climate Champions team
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Business Impact • ISSUE 1 • 2024
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