Trendspotting to Truth-Telling: Replacing Speculation with SGP's SMS

In 2023, I wrote about how our SGP-certified facilities could stay ahead by embracing circular principles, investing in training and building resilient partnerships. That optimism still holds.

But today, my perspective is clearer and carries caution. Not all trends are created equal. Some signal foundational shifts; others are abstract, unverifiable concepts that only drain resources.

My Journey: Why Some Trends Should Be Ignored

A dozen years ago, I sat through a presentation on carbon credits. The promise was greenhouse gas reduction without any real changes to operations. The scheme had no independent checks, no verifiable outcomes. It was my first glimpse into the murky nature of pay-to-play sustainability. That company is now gone; I have no idea what happened to the forest they were claiming for credits.

Fast forward to 2024. While preparing for my drupa presentation, “Hacking Net Zero,” I dug deeper into a significant, difficult-to-implement trend: Net Zero. I found flawed logic, particularly for facilities trying to calculate their status. The biggest red flag? Scope 3 emissions.

As Gary Jones of PRINTING United and an SGP founder clarified: Scope 3 emissions are inherently untrackable. Why? Because every customer factors in the Scope 3 emissions of their vendors, multiplying carbon reductions many times over. It’s a recursive loop with no reliable baseline.

Trends like Net Zero, as currently marketed, defy basic accounting logic. For industrial businesses, they are a financial trap that diverts precious capital from real sustainability work into abstract, unverifiable exercises.

The SGP Mandate: Operational Integrity Over Hype

This is the strategic tension: Do we chase the abstract goal or do we commit to verifiable, results-driven change?

The risks of relying on abstract, non-verified metrics were profoundly underscored by the investigation into Verra, the world’s leading carbon standard for the voluntary offsets market. The Guardian, a news agency in the United Kingdom, in a nine-month investigation, found that based on analysis of a significant percentage of projects, more than 90% of Verra’s rainforest offset credits were likely to be “phantom credits” and did not represent genuine carbon reductions. These worthless credits put major corporations at severe risk of reputational and fiduciary liability. This is the cost of prioritizing image over operational truth.

Citation: The Guardian, 18 January 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/revealed-forest-carbon-offsets-biggest-provider-worthless-verra-aoe

SGP’s Sustainability Management System (SMS) offers a grounded, transparent way forward through accountability. As a non-profit with independent auditors, our focus is entirely on your optimization. You build your sustainable future based on your actual starting point and verifiable performance.

• Establish Operational Integrity. Focus on facility-wide accountability: tracking waste, energy use and material sourcing based on measured data points. The power of a third-party audit eliminates greenwashing risk and ensures the metrics you report are reliable balance sheet assets.
• Architect Cross-Sector Alliances. Stay informed about evolving regulations. SGP Resource Partners including TLMI, PRINTING United Alliance, the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) and the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) help analyze genuine trends, allowing you to align with credible, NGO-backed certifications like SGP that demand credibility, not perceived compliance. This is how leaders drive policy adoption and mitigate long-term fiduciary risk.
• Center Customers and Education. Serve as a trusted guide who educates them on what real sustainability looks like. Your verifiable data is the essential tool for driving accountability with your suppliers and demonstrating true market leadership.

Resilience Is the Real Trend

Trends will come and go. Some will fade into footnotes, joining the defunct carbon credit schemes of the last decade.

But resilience built on transparency, accountability and community is timeless. SGP-certified facilities are not chasing trends; they are leading with systems that work. They are the leaders who choose operational integrity over abstraction, recognizing that a sustainable supply chain is the ultimate asset in an unstable global economy.

About the Author

Jonathan Graham is a leader in sustainability and marketing with over 20 years of experience in industrial markets and a Master’s in Journalism from the University of Mississippi. As Chair of the SGP Board of Directors (2020-2022) and founder of the SGP Foundation, Jonathan has championed sustainable practices across the printing and packaging sectors. Through the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership, he promotes industry standards and eco-friendly practices. A seasoned marketing executive, Jonathan has led digital engagement and content strategy at major companies, enhancing brand visibility and loyalty. Known for crafting impactful brand narratives, he combines sustainability expertise with marketing acumen to inspire progress and promote responsible, long-term business practices.

Read the other posts in Jonathan’s sustainability focused blog series:

• Don’t Let Politics Derail Your Profits: The Sustainability Advantage
• How to Elevate Your Marketing with Sustainability: Build Trust and Drive Growth for Long-Term Business Success
• 5 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
• Transform Your Brand with Sustainability: Top Tips for Social Media Success
• Why Every Company Needs a Sustainability Management System

Disclaimer:
The opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of SGP Partnership. SGP Partnership does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of any information provided in this post and is not responsible for any errors or omissions. The content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice.