TALKING POINT
ANGELA TERRY Founder of climate-action website One Home
‘We need to battle the fear of hypocrisy’
Compared with the US and China, the UK has done well. In shutting coal-fi red power stations and developing the world’s largest offshore wind capacity, we’ve shown we can decarbonise and create jobs. Unilever, whose sustainable brands deliver three-quarters of the company’s growth, has blown out of the water the idea that it’s somehow a sacrifi ce for a business to go green. Any fi rm that fails to adopt green tech such as electric cars will also fail to attract talent. I recently told an oil major that, back when I was a student, everyone wanted to work for it, but now millennials wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole, as it’s one of the bad guys.
We need to battle the fear of hypocrisy too. Business leaders have told me that they can’t discuss climate change because they fl y spare parts in from China. We all burn fossil fuels. If we all waited to be perfect, nothing would ever get done. As a leader, you have all the power you need. Get boards involved. Set goals. Integrate them in performance reviews. Shell, for instance, is linking bonuses to carbon-reduction targets. If Shell can do that, anyone can.
onehome.org.uk
Angela Terry is a member of IoD South West
SHAUN MCCARTHY Founder and director of Action Sustainability
It was hard for me not to smirk when Ryanair recently declared itself the EU airline delivering the lowest CO2 per passenger mile. After all, this is a company whose CEO once said: “The best thing to do with environmentalists is shoot them.” It’s clear that climate change is fi nally on the corporate agenda when even Ryanair can see marketing value in claiming to be “green”. There has to be a visible commitment to science-based targets from the top of your business. This needs to be
‘There has to be a commitment from the top’
expressed whenever you talk with shareholders, customers and your team.
Equipping your fi rm with the right skills for a carbon- neutral future is also vital. Thousands of construction- sector SMEs are learning free of charge with the Supply Chain Sustainability School that I chair, for instance. Furthermore, what is it about using less energy that’s going to cost you more? The sooner that fi rms get on the net-zero bus, the better. If you don’t take climate change seriously now, you won’t be in business for much longer.
actionsustainability.com
Shaun McCarthy OBE is a member of IoD South
DAVID ALPERT Co-founder and MD, the International Institute for Anti-Ageing (iiaa)
‘Business needs to put pressure on government’
Last summer I was 10 degrees from the North Pole. It’s one of the most remote places in the world, yet the Arctic waterline was full of plastic – some from my own industry, cosmetics. It was a frightening sign that we have so little time to change things before it’s too late. At iiaa we’re passionate about seeking green solutions. In our bid to go plastic-free, we package products in cardboard cylinders or biodegradable pots. By 2022 all 80 cars in our fl eet will be electric.
But even though adopting a green business model could offer a competitive edge, many fi rms will remain wasteful until the law makes it too costly and uncomfortable. Governments therefore need to drive change. The UK’s plan to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040 is a brilliant example of the opportunities: it will force car makers to switch to electric; the fi rm that gets the contract to supply Uber with electric cars will really clean up. If the UK can lead the world in the creative industries, it could be a post-Brexit centre of excellence for green enterprise too. Business just needs to put pressure on government to achieve it.
iiaa.eu
David Alpert is a member of IoD London
CHRIS BIRCH Director of sustainability, Hilson Moran
It was a no-brainer for us to get our offi ce in Manchester certifi ed under the Well standard – a measure of how a building can benefi t its occupants’ wellbeing. It has improved staff retention and helped us to win business too. Should other fi rms adopt similar sustainability measures? I don’t think they’ll have a choice in the long term – half of the UK’s local authorities have declared climate emergencies and will soon start to push companies to act. Those that comply quickly will be offered
‘Sustainability isn’t just a “nice to have”’
incentives such as grants for adopting green tech and practices. But, as we get closer to 2050, there’ll be fewer carrots and more sticks. Procurement functions will also become increasingly demanding of suppliers. If you’re supplying a supermarket chain, for instance, you’ll probably soon have to make declarations on sustainability as a result of your customer’s zero-carbon commitments. The recent statement by the Bank of England’s governor, Mark Carney, that fi rms ignoring the climate crisis will be driven out of business is largely true. Sustainability isn’t just a “nice to have”; it’s going to be a legal requirement.
hilsonmoran.com
director.co.uk 9
COMPILED BY CHRISTIAN KOCH
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