The ecological transition will only succeed if it becomes economically attractive

Column by Willy Lionel Pomathios Aquama November 12, 2026 3:56 p.m. Willy Lionel Pomathios defends an ecological transition which is no longer perceived as a cost, but as a lever of competitiveness and economic performance accessible to all companies.

Each year in France, around 12.5 million tonnes of packaging are placed on the market before becoming waste [1], an eloquent figure which underlines the urgency of rethinking our production and consumption methods to reduce their environmental footprint. Despite widely shared awareness, taking action often remains difficult. Between budgetary constraints and economic uncertainties, companies' environmental commitments are struggling to translate into concrete actions. Which leads us to ask a fundamental question: how can we ask companies to sustainably transform their practices if the ecological transition is seen above all as an additional cost?

It is necessary to move away from this opposition between economic performance and environmental responsibility. The ecological transition will only work on a large scale if it becomes an economic opportunity, and not a burden to bear.

For a long time, environmental measures were presented from the angle of constraint: more investment, accepting additional costs or changing habits. This approach helped to establish the idea that acting for the environment necessarily implied an effort or a sacrifice.

However, for a company, and particularly for an SME, each decision must be carefully thought out and measured, as the consequences can weigh on the continuity of their activity. Preserving its cash flow, controlling its costs and maintaining its competitiveness therefore remain essential priorities.

It would be utopian to think that companies will be able to sustainably engage in the ecological transition without taking these realities into account. The point is no longer to convince them of the need to act, as leaders know today. The challenge now is to prove to them that the ecological transition can bring them a tangible economic advantage.

To achieve this, it is not enough just to develop less polluting products or more economical technologies. We must change the way we produce, distribute and consume.

Our economy still relies too largely on a logic of volumes: produce, sell, consume, replace, then start again, a model that has become completely contradictory.

Favoring use rather than possession, favoring reusable solutions or bringing production closer to the place of use are solutions that reconcile reduction of environmental impact and economic gain.

It is this conviction in particular that has guided our approach at Aquama: developing a model in which the different stakeholders can find economic benefit while changing their consumption practices.

The success of the ecological transition will also depend on our ability to make it accessible to as many people as possible, particularly SMEs and VSEs.

This implies going beyond a logic based solely on the purchase price to take into account the overall cost of solutions: transport, storage, maintenance or even waste management. An alternative can become economically interesting by considering the entire use cycle.

The ecological transition should not be a privilege reserved for companies that can afford to invest more. It must become a performance lever accessible to all.

It is essential to stop opposing ecology and economics. The transition will not succeed just because it is necessary, but because it becomes simple, accessible and beneficial enough to be adopted.

[1] https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/politiques-publiques/entreprises-professionnels

Machine-translated from French