Challenges of Green Design--Fall 2008

Top Five Challenges for Developing Green Products
Challenge
High expense associated with developing new technologies that are green or
compliant
43%
Regulations differ widely according to regions and countries around the world 30%
Difficulty measuring unconventional ROI on green products 25%
Difficulty in understanding applicable regulations due to exemptions and
shortages of knowledgeable employees
24%
Greener materials and technologies require new and large capital
manufacturing investments
24%
Source: Aberdeen Group
% of All Respondents
DEALERS WANTED
Top Five Pressures Driving Green Product Development
Pressure
Developing green products part of corporate social responsibility initiative 37%
Green products offer greater competitive product differentiation 35%
Conscientious customers demand products that are more eco-friendly 28%
Compliance to green related regulations required for market entry 26%
Customers demand for products that use natural resources more efficiently 23%
Source: Aberdeen Group
% of All Respondents
‘going green’ in their everyday life is simply
not a big concern or a high priority,”
says Smith.
A mere 13 percent of those surveyed
by Yankelovich, says Smith, are “strongly
concerned” about the environment, while
less than a quarter believe they can make
a difference.
And while Al Gore’s An Inconvenient
Truth received widespread acclaim from
the media and members of the scientific
community, less than 20 percent of consumers
saw the movie or read the book,
say Yankelovich findings.
Some may argue that the current economic
crisis is distracting consumers from
just about every other issue under the sun,
including the environment. But no matter
the reasons, such results already are raising
questions about the potential bottomline
benefits that can be derived from
investing in socially responsible product
development. Unless consumers begin to
change their tune, one has to wonder how
much patience American manufactures
will show toward green investments outside
of regulatory-driven necessities.
Not that all hope is lost, by any means.
In its sixth annual report on the carbon
footprints of Global 500 companies, the
Carbon Disclosure Project, a not-for-profit
organization that acts as an intermediary
between shareholders and corporations on
climate change-related issues, argues that
some companies confirmed billions of dollars
in savings as a result of sustainability
efforts in operations and packaging.
Even within the seemingly pessimistic
Yankelovich study, Smith makes the point
that despite “most consumers’ lukewarm
attitudes toward green,” companies that
successfully convey the benefits of green
attributes in a product can make those attributes
a key feature in the buying decision
of consumers who are just moderately
concerned about climate change and the
environment. That could include all but
the 29 percent of consumers described by
Yankelovich as “Greenless,” or unmoved
by environmental issues and alarms.
Possibly most encouraging of all, Aberdeen
researchers found a direct correlation
between the length of time a company
has been pursuing a green strategy and
the level of success in generating a positive
return from it. So companies that have
had the opportunity to figure out what
does and does not work well earlier than
their manufacturer peers are dramatically
more likely to hit launch dates, stick within
budgets and minimize price increases.
That seems to suggest that if manufacturers
continue to push on, the premium
price paid for greener products eventually
goes away. And at that point, the need
to change consumer behavior becomes
much less of a factor.
In the long term, eco-friendly product
development could have a bright future.
But that’s assuming manufacturers of all
types can be persuaded to show patience,
seeing how, in the nearer term, as we
have said before, things likely get harder
before they get easier.
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Fall 2008 | InsideOutdoor | 39