Increasing the Sustainability of Business in the UK - Freddie

In mid-September, ENDS (Environmental Data Services), in conjunction with Forum for the Future, released their Sustainable Business 2011 report, the first of its kind in the UK. Unfortunately, you have to pay for the full version, but blogger David Bent gives a good summary of it in his follow-up article.


It states that within the UK, the use of sustainability reports by businesses is up by 20% in 2011 compared to 2010, while environmental management system certifications have seen a growth of just under 14%. It seems that despite the bite of the recession, organisations are starting to see the short and long-term benefits of operating in a more sustainable way.
There are clear warning signs, however, that this isn't going to be enough. Not by a long shot. Climate change and resource depletion are pushing us towards the edge of the cliff at a seemingly unrelenting pace and humanity is not pushing back hard enough. The UK's Met Office warns that global carbon emissions need to peak within the next decade and soon thereafter show a reduction of 5% per year after year after year. Current trends show that this is unlikely to happen.


The most interesting outcome of the report is that it highlights the important role that government has to play in helping businesses to meet their carbon reduction targets, allowing them to become more sustainable in the process. Through legislation and financial incentives, our political leaders can show business leaders that the light at the end of the tunnel is green. Innovation and collaboration are two of the best tools we have for decoupling growth from destruction and breaking free of the old business model.