Will sustainability be an even bigger deal in 2013?

I'm sure you're seeing as many prediction lists for 2013 as I am, and after a while they can get exhausting and a bit repetitive. But I was thrilled to see something over on Triple Pundit where the writer makes a solid case for the rise of sustainability as a mega-trend in 2013. Imagine it! Rather than fighting for scraps from Congress or some small, local tax credit, wiping tears after yet another global movement is ignored by the U.S. for whatever political reason, or staring out at the darkening sky wondering why we are spending so much money on fracking or cleaning up oil spills…

Well, imagine, instead, if we were at the precipice of a new investment era. Instead of a real estate bubble, I'm talking about a significant, impactful trend toward investing in sustainability. Bill Roth at TriplePundit breaks it down into three "drivers" that are pushing investment in sustainability to be a "mega-trend" in 2013. I hope he's right, but I have my doubts, as you'll see.

1. Driver #1 is financial investigation. The point is, sustainability is now an issue that CFO's need to care about and are accountable for. And you better believe CFO's don't play. Roth walks you through the specifics of why that's happening.

2. Driver #2 is that sustainability is now a C-suite area of focus.   If sustainability is being talked about in the board room, it will start to make its way in to the long-term plans and the general company ethos. Walmart is held up as an example of this- they are saving millions of dollars a year by being more eco-conscious. I've heard about this for years, though, so we'll see if there's any reason it will be more popular than other years during this year.

3. Driver #3 is that consumers are demanding smarter, healthier and greener solutions. Unfortunately I flat out disagree with this. Roth cites increasing numbers of people opting for solar and I applaud that. But for it to be a trend, I need to see teenagers doing it, or Jay Z rapping about it, or it being a bigger savings on taxes than the home mortgage deduction.

We're building a consciousness around this. When I was a kid, recycling bins in the classrooms were weird. Now, they're a no-brainer. These days, sustainability as a corporate value is still a bit weird. But in a decade or two, when everyone who has heard about it their whole life is filling out that C-suite, it'll be a no-brainer of its own.

Photo courtesy of seannaber via flickr