Entropia Study Reveals Relationship between People, Planet and Profit

Entropia Group, the new age consultancy-meets-agency, recently released a special report on sustainability entitled “Business for Goodness”. The study, conducted in October 2019, unveils Malaysians’ current knowledge, awareness and perceptions of the concept and its practices.

Whereas the recent global focus has been on preserving energy and resources, more in-depth research shows sustainability or sustainable development does not only include environmental preservation, but expands its boundaries to encompass a feasible and balanced global economy, combined with fair and equal treatment of all members of society; with the 1987 Brundtland Commission report to the United Nations referring to it as“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

Ramakrishnan CN, partner at Entropia, said: “At Entropia, we understand that success in business requires sustainable practices geared to protecting the environment, promoting innovation and ultimately, turning a profit.

“We spend a considerable amount of time looking to the future, and with that in mind, we created this report to help businesses understand how Malaysians view the concept and perceive their role in it. The results from this representative sample of Malaysian adults gave us an interesting perspective on consumer expectations.”

The study revealed that while the majority of respondents claimed to be aware of ‘sustainability’, understanding of the concept varied dramatically.

Lower income groups, for instance, associate it with sustaining the economy, whereas more affluent groups associate the concept with the larger purpose of sustaining planet Earth and the environment for the
next generation. Other findings include the general perception that Malaysian companies are highly committed to ‘sustainability’, both at home and while operating overseas.

Among Malaysian corporations, Petronas is viewed as the most sustainable local company, but a lot more ground still needs to be covered. On top of that, the research also explored respondents’ awareness of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – the world’s ambitious new action plan or roadmap set to achieve sustainable development for all by 2030.

Commenting further, Ramakrishnan added, “We are standing at the brink of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and not surprisingly, businesses are gearing up for that change. I imagine our role would evolve from mere spectator to active long-term participant in driving awareness and action around sustainable development. Consequently, in the near future, every business will need to redesign itself to ensure its survival. We hope this study strikes the right chord, so your business is not left behind.”

For a more in-depth view of the study, download the report at www.entropia.com