towards the environment. Now fewer than to create a green economy that committed the US to cut emis-
one in ten business leaders worry about will pull us out of the recession. sions by 16% by 2020 and by
diminishing natural resources, and fail to put Boris Johnson hopes to create 80% by 2050. Obama also plans
the issue high on the agenda. However, M&S’s 15,000 jobs in an effort to cut to spend billions of dollars on
executive chairman, Sir Stuart Rose, insists energy and tackle climate change. renewable energy. Meanwhile, in
that green issues remain paramount. His Plan Targets have been established to the UK, the government is pro-
A initiate is award-winning. And there is evi- reduce London’s carbon emis- posing the creation of the Office
dence showing that corporate responsibility sions by 60%, contributing for Renewable Energy
(CR) is on the up, as more firms instigate £600M to the Deployment to
their push towards environment and energy capital’s econ- deliver targets
improvements. Tarmac, the Co-Op Group omy by 2025. of sourcing
and Samsung are just some of the large corpo- Meanwhile, the 15% of the coun-
rates that see the crisis as an opportunity NHS has announced try’s energy from
to focus on CR and grow their business, a major campaign to renewable sources by
establishing new positions in their markets reduce its carbon foot- 2020. Governments are
above their competitors. print. The organisation realising that, by committing
“It is no longer the altruists that are telling employs 1.5 million people and to energy efficiency projects,
people about their sustainable strategy,” says both in-house and contracted envi- their labour-intensive nature cre-
ronmental professionals will lead the ates construction sector jobs, as well
campaign. With low-carbon targets and as energy sector jobs – reducing energy
‘
It is no longer the altruists
various campaigns in place, the new world- use, saving money and helping to create a
telling us about their sustainable
wide low-carbon economy is worth £3 tril- sustainable future – the best route to econom-
strategy. It is becoming more
lion, employing 880,000 people in the UK. ic recovery.
and more commonplace in
The UN’s proposal for a “global green new “Lets face it, the US needs a boost and if
deal” was touched upon at the recent G20 building a better, bigger environmental indus-
’
the boardroom meeting in London, where all countries were try is what Obama brings then good for
expected to devote billions of public spending them,” says Heppenstall.
Joe Heppenstall, a business manager with to green projects. “In the UK, we have a great industry and
environmental recruitment consultants Allen The US economic stimulus has amounted to for us it’s about how we adapt to these times
&York. “It is becoming more and more com- more than $2,800B (£1,770B), with around in both the public and private sector – and
monplace in the boardroom. By no means is $430B (£270B), which is 15%, to be spent on what we can do to change in the face of the
everything looking gloomy.” green measures. market conditions.
Remaining optimistic is difficult but there The UK is only allocating £535M (7%) of “The consultants in the UK are some of
is evidence that careers in the environmental its economic stimulus, which many MPs argue the best in the world, and have a habit of
sector are showing some elasticity and could is too small. They suggest the Treasury should being able to switch strategy to meet demand
drive new economic growth. Careers includ- spend £11B on a green stimulus package as through retraining, recruiting new skills and
ing ecologists, hydrologists, environmental this would lead to net job creation, emissions- refocus on sectors that are very much alive.
chemists are expected to grow 25% over cutting and an improvement in energy securi- “Similarly, the blue-chip organisations
the next decade – jobs that are required and ty. Greenpeace suggested that, if £5B was are recognising that the green agenda will not
continue in demand when there is no extra invested in energy-efficiency measures, 55,000 go away.”
discretionary money to spend. jobs could be created. These jobs would range The financial crisis has had large implica-
Construction roles may have been reduced from those involved in the science behind tions on the environment industry but at
but this reduction is being counteracted by clean energy systems, to their physical instal- the same time created huge economic, social
huge demand for climate change and carbon- lation – and every function in between. and environmental benefits likely to arise
reduction services – with the government’s EU diplomats have viewed the election of from combating climate change and pollution,
newly introduced low-carbon strategy aiming President Obama as a positive change. He has generating many varied opportunities.
Sustainable Business ❘ June 2009 23
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