Companies should see the carbon tax as a way to sell their environmental compliance as a competitive advantage, not as an added cost.

That's according to recent CQUniversity Professional Doctorate graduate Dr Ivan Ong, who is based in Singapore and completed his thesis on the competitive advantages that a future low carbon economy can bring to a logistics company in Singapore.

Dr Ivan Ong (left) and Dr Michael Cowling

"Although the environmental cost is a burden to any company, the literature suggests that carbon emissions reductions should not be seen as a constraint to a company's operation or a cost factor that inhibits the growth of a company," said Dr Ong. "Instead, by addressing climate change through reducing the carbon used in their business, companies could potentially reap benefits and opportunities and contribute to economic growth."

Through the completion of interviews, online questionnaires and document analysis, Dr Ong's research showed that the real value of implementing carbon emissions reduction is to strengthen the company's competitiveness in a new economy where environmental issues are emerging into the mainstream.

Dr Ong's supervisor, Dr Michael Cowling, agrees with this position and quotes companies such as Apple as good examples of organisations that leverage the new carbon economy for competitive advantage.

"Apple includes environmental statistics as a core part of any new announcement, including the recently announced iPhone 5. While it surely costs Apple more to make these environmental concessions, they are able to use these as a positive promotional item in their presentations, providing a competitive advantage that helps to make them the most valuable company in the world," Dr Cowling says.

Regardless of the reasons companies chose to implement environmental changes, Dr Ong acknowledges that in the 21st century, an environmental consciousness is essential for any company.

"Companies can no longer ignore climate change issues while pursuing economic growth. Understanding the importance of differentiating themselves from competitors will ensure that a company is able to maintain its leadership among many 'similar' logistics players," he says.