8 March 2011. As a link between industry and consumers, trade plays a particular part as a preserver of sustainable principles. Trading companies have to satisfy consumers’ wishes for compliance with ethical tenets, as well as with ecological and social guidelines. At the same time, they have to optimise their value-creation chain according to economic criteria.

Challenges and opportunities for the industry

Reduced CO₂ emissionscaused by transport, improved production conditions and the optimisation of the use of natural raw materials are only a few examples of the challenges facing the consumer goods industry. The investments that are required for this may increase cost and margin pressure in the short term but are also beneficial to brand positioning and image in the long term.

Producing and consuming in a sustainable way

What requirements of “sustainable consumption” must be met by trade and industry, how these challenges can be tackled and what playing field politics can be expected to stake out for trade and industry in this regard will be discussed by speakers from politics, industry, trade and the service sector during the St.Gallen Forum. Speakers will include:

• KatherinaReiche (Parliamentary Secretary of State at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Federal Republic of Germany)
• Thomas Bachl (GesellschaftfürKonsumforschung (GfK), Germany)
• Prof. Dr. Christian Berg (SAP)
• Cornelia Diethelm (Migros)
• Dr. Michael J. Inacker (Metro Group)
• Dr. Andreas Knaut (Danone)
• Felix Meier (WWF Schweiz)
• Dr. Johann Seif (Henkel)
• Josef Zettel (Coop)
• Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Stölzle (Research Institute for Logistics Management (LOG-HSG)

photo: Photocase / gernot1610