The efforts for reducing carbon footprint can be seen extensively in all economies with various organizations striving hard to achieve and maintain greener policies.
This green approach for creating a resource-efficiency economy may well be the precursor to the next major industrial revolution and in the long term may also churn out financial benefits in addition to the obvious environmental benefits.
There is no stopping the transformation and inclination towards green technologies, so the only recourse available to organizations is to rework their strategies and come up with contingent measures to ensure that they maintain compatibility with the changing trends. Even statistics have gone ahead to reveal the rapid growth of investors in green technology with with the investments surging to 243 billion USD as reported by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. This is staggering 30% increase from the previous year and almost 5 times more than the figures calculated for 2004.
Despite these investments, there is a significant gap which exists between the required capital to fund the widespread implementation of green technologies and the available financial capabilities for meeting the requirements that are crucial for sustaining the transition being made towards low carbon economies. If current figures and data are to be considered, the energy demand would grow by approximately 36% over the period 2019 – 2035. The majority of the demands (estimated at 93%) is expected to emanate from the emerging markets.
If predictions by the International Energy Agency (IEA) were to be considered, then the period 201 to 2035 would experience the increase in renewable resource based power generation by 300%. Nuclear power and natural gas are major components of the “future energy mix” which is expected to gain prominence in the coming years in place of fossil fuel that would lose its market share gradually. While renewable energy is still available at high costs in most places, the prices would see a decrease as soon as solar and wind energy projects achieve successful completion. More than mere provision of green sources, it is the awareness of its implications which holds greater significance as people would be required to adapt to the changing technologies. As of now, the use of natural gas appears to be transition aiding component that is bridging the gap between the use of traditional fuels and the use of renewable energy sources.
If the business aspect of the implications of renewable energy were to be considered, then resorting to green methods would not only enhance the usage of resources but it would also bring visible cost benefits in the long run. The raw materials required in the production of a large number of products are not available in unlimited quantity and with the stringent rejection of raw materials owing to non-compliance with quality standards, the need for going green seems to be the only recourse in the current economic scenario. Such concerns revolving around resource utilization are expected to bring about an increased demand for organizations to prove their business’s adherence to sustainable practices. Sustainability reporting as of now is only voluntary and is mainly used to encourage organizations and businesses to declare their socio-environmental impact. However, the tides may turn pretty soon in light of the various developments being made due to which sustainability reporting may no longer be a choice, it would become a mandatory component of public declarations for all businesses.
Emerging Markets Would Increase their Power in the Global Scenario:
Emerging markets have become the global hub for aids that drive economic growth and may well become the key drivers of global growth. Earlier considered to be lucrative places for obtaining natural resources, cheap labor and inexpensive manufacturing, the emerging markets have achieved the status of becoming major players in the global competitive landscape. If we take into consideration the current statistics and figures of growth and economic development, then it is safe to estimate that the coming years would exhibit a 70% global growth with almost 40% of the growth being contributed by China and India. The IMF has expressed that the performance of the emerging markets could outperform the developed economies in terms of GDP and Purchasing Power Parity by as early as 2014. This is an impressive performance by the emerging economies which is further strengthened by the fact that they account for nearly 50% of global FDI inflows and 25% outflows.
One of the fastest growing trends that has been witnessed over the past decade is the emergence of new leaders in emerging markets that not only provide critical competition in home grounds but are also making substantial outbound investments in other economies. These power giants would eventually become a disruptive force in the global arena with stiff competition being provided to others. The key driving force which enables companies from emerging markets to come up with cost effective and innovative designs to products stems from the fact that the local markets in which they operate are more than often deprived of convenient facilities. This means that they need to work with whatever they have and with whatever they can manage with. The outcome of operating with such limited support systems is the emergence of an entrepreneurial culture that is infused with innovation in strategic implementation and greater flexibility in adapting to the demands of their customers. One of the most profound examples of this is the Nano, manufactured by Tata Motors, India. This car is priced at USD 2,900 internationally which is less than 50% of the costs of any automobile in the world. The mere presence of this car in the global market goes on to speak loads about the progress being made by businesses in emerging economies and markets.
Another key factor to be considered is the estimated growth in population numbers which would not only add to the customer base but would also result in the increase in the combined purchasing power of the middle class segment of the population to more than USD 56 trillion by the year 2050. These estimates represent global implications wherein the majority of the demand (more than 80% estimated) emanating from the Asian countries. In keeping with the expected as well as the current changes, there would be immense requisites for developing or upgrading the physical and soft infrastructure so as to accommodate the demands of the increasing numbers of urban middle class members.
While emerging markets seem to be getting prominence in the global business scenario, it would be wrong to interpret their presence on the international forefront as being the only ones to be able to reap the benefits. The developments in emerging countries have helped to escalate the position of middle class members in their own regions which in turn have become lucrative new markets for developed countries.
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