Sustainability & Resource Productivity

Resource revolution: Tracking global commodity markets

September 2013—Commodity prices, though off recent peaks, still reflect emerging-market demand, a challenging geology, innovative technology, and improved resource productivity.more

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Questions and answers on the circular economy

October 2013—The next frontier in sustainability is to re-use products to extract their value before disposing of them. How can this be done?

• Download the article (PDF–67.1 KB)
• Download related report on the “circular economy” from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (PDF–2.19 MB)

The US growth opportunity in shale oil and gas

August 2013—McKinsey partner Scott Nyquist discusses the role of shale oil and gas in boosting US oil production and examines the environmental concerns that must be addressed.more

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Seizing China’s energy-efficiency opportunity: A case study

June 2013—Improving energy efficiency in industrial environments starts with changing minds—not machinery. The progress made by one of China’s largest state-owned enterprises holds lessons for industrial players of all stripes.more

China’s next chapter: The infrastructure and environmental challenge

June 2013—McKinsey’s Jonathan Woetzel explores China’s huge infrastructure program and the country’s plans to build sustainable urban clusters for hundreds of millions of its people.more

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McKinsey on Sustainability & Resource Productivity

Our goal is to present insights and approaches that organizations can use to transform how they manage resources and drive sustainable growth.more

A sustainable fish story

March 2013–Seafood is an important part of a healthy diet and fishing-related industries provide employment for 180 million people. Is there a way to reverse, or at least slow down, the stresses that are threatening fish stocks? This McKinsey article suggests how.more

The greening of Walmart

March 2013—Walmart’s senior VP for sustainability, Andrea B. Thomas discusses the challenges of building a greener supply chain and explains why Walmart won’t be marketing sustainability to customers anytime soon.

• Read more on the McKinsey on Society Web site

Voices on Society, Vol. 4: The Socially Conscious Consumer

Many consumers around the world say they will pay a premium for sustainable products and prefer to deal with companies whose values they share and trust. What impact are these socially conscious consumers having on environmental and economic sustainability?

• Read more on the McKinsey on Society Web site

Manufacturing resource productivity

June 2012—Manufacturers can generate new value, minimize costs, and increase operational stability by focusing on four broad areas: production, product design, value recovery, and supply-circle management.more

From supply chains to supply circles

June 2012—Manufacturers can create value, cut costs, and reduce exposure to volatile commodity prices by improving their resource productivity–using fewer resources for each unit of output.

• View the infographic
• Read the full article

Solar power's next shining

April 2012–After a boom seemed headed for a bust, stable and expansive growth is on the horizon.more

The business of sustainability: Putting it into practice

Companies should integrate environmental, social, and governance issues into their business model—and act on them.

• Download the report (PDF–258 KB)

Winning the battle for the home of the future

October 2011—European utilities may soon have to earn a growing share of their profits by helping households save energy rather than consume it.more

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The business of sustainability: McKinsey Global Survey results

October 2011—More companies are managing sustainability to improve processes, pursue growth, and add value to their companies rather than focusing on reputation alone.more

Design for sustainable fisheries—Modeling fishery economics

September 2011–Returning fish stocks to sustainable levels involves difficult trade-offs. This report outlines a methodology to think through the options for fisheries.more

Another oil shock?

November 2011—It’s possible, though far from certain, that oil prices will spike in the years ahead. Here’s why—and how you can prepare. more

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Four lessons for transforming African agriculture

April 2011—To succeed, African countries must narrow their focus and target high-impact projects.more

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