I think it's great that BMW is using landfill gas for power and its great that Rockcote is developing environmentally friendly paints, but the theme of the article is in the last sentence "The risk for those not embracing it [sustainability] is that they will be left behind."

I see nothing in this article to show that companies that have not embraced sustainability are being left behind. Despite BMW using landfill gas for power the amount of unsustainable fossil fuels we use, goes up every year as well as the volume of greenhouse gases we produce. That means the great majority of the other companies in the world are not doing the kinds of things that BMW is doing.

The ideas put forward in the article are great but they are a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed. To be fair the author does say "The move to sustainable manufacturing is nothing short of revolutionary. It will require a massive shift in the approach to management and workforce skills." I agree completely. I just wish there was more in the article about how we make the revolutionary, massive shift.

"It will require a massive shift in the approach to management and workforce skills."

Yes, all at the risk of investors and in Australia we are going backwards in industrial relations to darker times, and management know they have been neutered by the ALP government. Investors are looking very carefully at what they do now, the risks are greater than ever.

Zero pollution and sustainability are not going to happen unless they are subsidized or legislated. I'd like to know more about the examples you give as I expect we'd find other factors, government subsidies at work and not the kind of benevolent behavior you tout.

What a dreamer, you do realize you're in Australia don't you? Land of Union power and Union political wing power? No investor, like me, is happy about their money being used for eco/green pipe dreams, they want returns. But this is just a promo for your business isn't it, a newsletter or something?

Actually it is not niches that will be the future of manufacturing.
With energy depletion global trade will gradually wither away.
This will probably start happening in say the next three to five years
and be totally local manufacturing by ten years.

Before last years credit crash furniture manufacture was starting to
move back to the US from China because of the trans Pacific cost
for container freight. A container cost US$8000 to send across the
Pacific. At present they will do it for nothing.

When the fuel price gets back up freight costs will also reach levels
where bulky goods will be made locally.
It won't happen overnight but it will happen.