As I write this month’s column, I’m attending Plumbing Manufacturer’s International annual Manufacturing Success conference in Louisville, Kentucky. PMI has done a great job with its programming content this year, especially with keynote presenter Andrew Winston, a corporate environmental strategist and author, who discussed how today’s companies are now expected to take a stand against the world’s social and environmental problems — and in doing so, earn a profit.
“Investing in ESG pays off,” he told the audience repeatedly. He proceeded to list numerous examples and reasons why. Google Flights now has a search feature where it will show users the routes with the lowest carbon footprints. Amazon is testing a new feature to search for climate-friendly products (think laundry detergent). Additionally, companies are expected to have positive position statements on things such as LGBTQ and minorities in the workplace. When Russia invaded Ukraine, companies had to think about whether they wanted to continue doing business in Russia. In our industry, REHAU notably suspended its Russian operations before selling its business and withdrawing from the country.