Chris Harrop Inform Opinion
E
very organisation has its ver- sion of what sustainable business means to them. For Marshalls, the key to sustainability is tailoring impact management to the organisation. We are hard land- scaping specialists and the way we balance the economic, social and environmental aspects of the busi- ness relies on our Sustainable Business Model – a framework which encompasses integrated management systems, membership to the United Nations Global Compact and ISO accreditation. On a day-to-day basis, it’s very much about minimising our impact, maintaining safety levels, developing new products and giving customers what they need to make an informed choice. We know our customers have become more conscious than ever about the effect they are personally having on climate change and the future of the planet. We have taken that on board and developed a communications strategy based on giving our customers the informa- tion that they need to make their buying choices – whether it’s a carbon label or being more trans- parent about our supply chain. Last year, Marshalls committed to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2020, in line with government targets. As part of this commitment, we have been working with the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Labelling Company to develop the carbon footprints of over 2,000 domestic and commercial products. This has been a great continuation of a very ambitious carbon reduction programme for Marshalls. When we started working with the Carbon Trust three years ago, we wanted to work with a rep- utable partner and we knew that we were making a big commit- ment. But there is no point in only carbon labelling one or two prod-
Sustainability is about making a real commitment – and avoiding greenwash
ucts. This is about providing infor- mation and a choice of products for our customers to compare. Marshalls is not about develop- ing one or two eco-friendly products. Our aim is to give our customers the products that fit with their lifestyles and takes their concerns into consideration. With carbon labelling, the aim is to reduce our carbon impact on all labelled products. For driveways, we have a range of paving solutions that will cope with the need to reduce the volume of water run- ning from driveways directly into urban drains. We look at the issues affecting our customers and we develop good quality products that deliver solutions.
The key here is not to make empty promises. Companies have got to back up their claims with hard evidence and this is only easy if they deliver on their commit- ments. In our case, key perform- ance indicators have been set against independently verifiable standards. Together these form the BSI PAS 99 Integrated Management Systems that underpin Marshalls’ drive for sustainable operations.
Communicating with customers is a priority. Companies wanting to take a stronger stance on sustain- ability need to communicate with their customers regularly.
No easy road: Marshalls’ sustainability journey is far from over
Marshalls has a dedicated sustain- ability website that is the best port of call for anyone looking for spe- cific sustainability information about the company. Walking the sustainability line and communicating the need for a sustainable approach are not always easy, especially in times of financial uncertainty – but con- sumers are becoming aware of ways to lead a more sustainable lifestyle and businesses have to innovate, stay competitive and provide the products and informa- tion needed.
The sustainability journey has not been easy for Marshalls. There
are no easy, quick ways to being sustainable. It is a matter of making a real commitment, backing it up with verifiable data, communicat- ing with customers and staying away from greenwash.
Marshalls’ sustainability journey is far from over. The next step now is to ensure that all of our products have a positive impact – socially, environmentally and economically.
Chris Harrop is director of sustainability at Marshalls. Marshalls is part of The Prince’s Mayday Network. To find out more go to
maydaynetwork.com
Sustainable Business | August/September 2010 | 9
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44