Posted on 9/10/2007 10:17:52 AM

Waste reduction is the most important environmental issue facing manufacturing businesses today, according to an international study on sustainability and environmental trends conducted by Harris Interactive for Midland-based Dow Corning Corp.

Eight out of ten managers and professionals in the United States, Brazil, Italy and Germany rank it as a higher priority than other environmental factors such as increasing energy efficiency or developing environmentally friendly products.

 

But the study of more than 1,000 people also reveals how attitudes about sustainability vary across the world. Managers in China, Korea and India for example, consider the development of "green" products as a more important driver than CO2 emissions, use of clean or renewable energy sources or waste reduction.

 

Other key findings of the research show that globally, customers are seen as the most important and the media as the least important influences on sustainability and environmental decisions.  However there are marked differences between countries. In Korea, four out of 10 managers rank the government as the No. 1 influencer, compared to 12 percent in Germany and 14 percent in the U.S.

Also, environmental and sustainability programs have a strong influence on whether a company will be considered as a potential supplier. On average, eight out of 10 companies globally say that environmental and sustainability factors are taken into account when they select suppliers. In India, fully half of managers consider environment and sustainability factors of critical importance, far higher than the 26 percent in China.

The survey showed a company's reputation is not seen as the main factor driving decisions surrounding environmental activities. In all countries except Korea, the health, safety of employees, customers and suppliers was rated as the most important influence. Managers in Korea, viewed the long term sustainability of their business as the most important factor.

Also, the survey showed companies in the Americas are more likely to have a dedicated team responsible for sustainability decision-making than companies in Asia   or Europe.

More than 1,000 respondents from a wide range of manufacturing companies were interviewed for the research in the U.S., Brazil, Italy, Germany, China, Korea and India.

The telephone survey took place between November 2006 and January 2007. More detailed findings of this survey can be found at www.dowcorning.com.

Dow Corning provides more than 7,000 products and services in silicon-based technology to more than 25,000 customers worldwide. The company is a joint venture of Midland-based Dow Chemical Co. and New York-based Corning Inc.