the low carbon economy
Where is the up-side for
UK organisations forced into
making carbon reductions?
Mandelson maintains that moving to a low-carbon economy
can provide a major boost to investment in UK businesses
Take a room full of executives and tell them that they will reduce their impact on
global warming if they switch off the lights in their offices at night. The reaction
is fairly predictable. Half a dozen will nod in agreement, but they are probably
the ones who are already doing their bit for the environment, such as composting
The Guardian. The rest will nod off out of boredom.
Tell the same audience that, by making sim- If you are still not convinced; if you still be-
ple changes to their working practices, they lieve that an individual organisation can make
can save 15% on electricity, 20% of their gas no lasting impression on carbon reduction,
bill and 25% of motoring costs. And that in the then we are more than happy to accept your
process, they can make a real reduction in viewpoint and make a different proposition.
their companies’ carbon footprint. Forget, for one moment, any impact of your
The response will be dramatic: there is noth- actions in terms of the carbon dioxide attrib-
ing quite like the prospect of reducing costs to utable to your organisation. Then look at the
stimulate hard-pressed executives into action. financial benefits to be gained. Strip away the
Unfortunately, there are not enough rooms mantle of righteousness over climate change
full of executives able to have those facts ex- that politicians have donned as they drive pub-
plained. The message that has to be taken rap- lic opinion into the ballot box, and see that
idly on board is unambiguous: if you take the both sides of the divide are exhorting the com-
right kind of investment actions and make the mercial case for carbon reduction, that saving
right kind of changes to your busines prac- energy saves money.
tices, then you will start to have a significant For the private sector, the reduction in over-
impact on the carbon emissions attributable heads and production costs is taken directly
to your organisation. to the bottom line. Over in the public sector,
In the process, your organisation will secure which forms a sizeable part of this magazine’s
the PR benefit of being seen as more respon- readership, cutting carbon emissions frees up
sible, more caring, and the kind of enterprise money that can be applied to ‘customer-facing’
that the public and other organisations want activities or at least fill some of the gaps left
to do business with. by successive rounds of cutbacks.
The period immediately after a recession is probably not the time to appeal to executives’ concerns for
climate change. But showing carbon reduction will improve their profitability is a very different proposition.
20
The Informed Executive
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