Is the New Normal Sustainable?
A 3-Part Series
By Snehal Desai, EVP and Chief Growth Officer, Evoqua Water Technologies
Part 1: A Sustainable Beginning
COVID-19 has transformed life as we know it: for the first time in my lifetime we have seen widespread lockdowns and shelter-at-home orders, and “business as usual” feels like a distant memory for a lot of people. Supply chains have been upended, major businesses have pivoted to create entirely new products, and entire industries have ground to a halt.
As industry has slowed down or, in some cases, stopped, the impact on environmental health has also become clear. Air pollution in major cities around the world has dropped an unprecedented amount: down 60% from the same three-week period last year spanning March and April when most of the global lockdowns were in effect. The number of hours with “unhealthy” air quality in New Delhi dropped from 68% in 2019 to 17% in 2020, and Los Angeles saw its longest stretch of clean air on record: 18 days. Many of the hypothesized benefits of altering our economic and social behaviors are being realized in a mass, real-time experiment.
While it seems like a major victory for sustainability, it is also likely and expected that those air pollution levels will gradually rise again as the worldwide economy reopens. But when “business as usual” is no longer just a memory and can resume, should it? Now that we have seen the impact of actions taken—or not taken—what can we do to create long-lasting impact, starting with our responsibility to corporate sustainability?
Student at Sri Vasavi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
9moHe is a cheater and criminal in india. Lot people's money was debted
Reducing energy costs with on-site renewable electricity, via solar electricity supply agreements.
4yHi Snehal. While Evoqua does excellent work transforming water, a policy to reduce carbon emissions (via renewable energy in manufacturing, use of EV vehicles etc) would be life enriching.
My passion lies in harnessing innovation as a catalyst for strategic growth, and I am dedicated to shaping the future of organizations by turning visionary ideas into concrete, game-changing results.
4yThe term “corporate sustainability” feels like it is someone else’s goal or responsibility. In my opinion, the challenge is how to blend personal, employee and corporate sustainability goals into an undistinguishable common objective. The current delineation between those three dilutes both the available resources and energy towards implementation.
Sales Leader | Growth Enabler | Committed to People
4yFully agree with your thoughts, we have been getting reports on how the water quality in rivers has improved post lockdown - and how some of our water bodies have seen revival of aquatic life. Its time for governments and Industry to start working together to drive a sustainable approach to use of water. Nature is showing us the direction and lets not wait for another CoVID to trigger a “sustainability reset”
Working on Innovative counterintuitive economical, ecological and environmental solutions
4yHi Snehal: Thank you for selecting a topic that has global relevance and sincere interest within the value chain. Water is an ideal topic for many reasons that I am positive you will cover. So, allow me to focus on the “Here and Now” present Danger of a process that is vital and necessary to achieve Global Growth: The Two Pass Desalination Process~ can it emerge from its current mass balances of: 1. ~43% recovery and 57% high salinity SWRO conc. Discharge (2X feed) 2. Subsidized and justified as a Macroeconomic investment with a site and locally influenced balance sheet; 3. Is this process likely to fall into a chasm without the generous support of local and national political push and pull? 4. Another way of asking the same question: Is seawater desalination’s future growth ~ globally ~ going to meet microeconomic goals of an investor class who is interested in EBIT? EBITDA? Asset utilization, EVA and a balance sheet that allows global comparison for the analysts studying the sector? 5. Sustainability GAP:IDA tables show the following: In 2018: A) 55 MM m3/d of permeate potable quality with a TDS:Chloride ratio of 250:150 ppm B) 77 MM m3/d of H.S. Waste. .. < a multi use industrial solvent; best value polar solvent