“The world population is growing, the average standard of living is rising and, with this, so is resource consumption. Given this general trend, the question facing the entire industry is one of abstinence or innovation.”

For Rorsted, the key to sustainable consumption lies in innovative products and processes able to offer the same or better performance while consuming ever less in the way of resources. If all those involved – from the raw material suppliers to the end consumers – were to play their part, it would be possible to increase performance by 50 percent while also reducing the ecological footprint by 50 percent – hence improving resource efficiency overall by a factor of 3.

The World Conference on Detergents in Montreux, the seventh of its kind since 1977, ends on October 7. The event sees representatives of all the leading detergent manufacturers and raw material suppliers joining with scientists and academics to discuss "New Strategies in a Dynamic Global Economy".

You can find further information on Kasper Rorsted’s presentation, further conference information and photos in the press folder at: http://www.henkel.com/press

Henkel provides extensive information on sustainability and corporate social responsibility, plus all the relevant rankings and ratings, on its website www.henkel.com/sustainability.