Dutch paint and chemical group Akzo Nobel is banking on its range of green products to help it cope with raw material shortages and keep up with increasing demand from environmentally-savvy consumers.

The company’s sustainability chief, Andre Veneman, told Reuters that sustainability was now a “pre-condition” for economic success.

“Companies that are able to contribute to economic growth at a lower input of raw materials and energy are the winners of the future,” Veneman said. “We develop products that are produced with lower energy but also offer energy efficiency to our clients.”

Veneman said that sustainable products currently accounted for 18 per cent of the company’s revenue – a figure that looks set to rise to 30 per cent by 2015.

He also claimed that the firm had cut its energy usage by 30 per cent since 1990, saving the company 200 million euros a year.