May 23, 2012

Acting on environmental policies

Demonstrating improvements in environmental performance and implementing robust management systems and policies have led to companies reaching the top 10 in terms of global sustainability.

The sustainability report On track for Rio + 20? How are global companies responding to sustainability? from EIRIS, a global provider of research into environmental, social and governance, found many firms are making sustainability a significant part of their future plans and strategies, to help  ensure their long-term success.

In the report EIRIS researched corporate sustainability performance on the 2,063 companies in the FTSE All World Developed Index. It looked for leadership in tackling sustainability challenges through policies, systems, reported and demonstrated improvements. Its research focused on companies positive or negative social, environmental or governance impacts or risks and their management of them.

In the top 10, which featured companies from a variety of sectors and countries such as the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Australia, most had a mixture of robust systems and had shown how they had tackled potential risks. These included:

  • training employees how to understand and identify possible environmental risks
  • demonstrated exceptional environmental practices, particularly with water management or reduction in paper consumption
  • engaging with stakeholders  across the supply chain

Puma came top in the top 10 of global sustainability leaders. The Eco Table is a series of icons that appears on products and packaging to highlight  eco-friendly materials and processes

Puma recently launched its Clever Little Bag which takes 65% less paper to make and will decrease the company’s CO2 emissions by 10,000 tons a year.

Companies in the UK and continental Europe fare much better in the sustainability stakes than their counterparts in the United States (US) and Asia. Though a number of private sector initiatives are growing in the US and Asian companies are demonstrating better environmental management than on social and governance issues.

Despite all this progress the report states the need to do more and predicts greater integration of sustainability issues into investment decisions.

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May 16, 2012

More to do at the office

We’re half way through Green Office Week and a survey suggests that we’re implementing very few green initiatives in the workplace.

Office company Avery surveyed 1,000 people what environmental practices businesses were adopting. The results – when we get to work we leave our green habits at home.

It’s infographic below lists the top 10 bad practices:

 

Things we don’t do at work

  • Throw away paper rather than recycling it
  • Don’t have a recycling bin
  • Throw away food packaging
  • Throw away cans and cartons
  • Don’t print double-sided
  • Leave equipment on stand by
  • Use non-environmentally friendly products
  • Leave the lights on
  • Leave the heating on; open windows
  • Don’t reuse envelopes/ jiffy bags

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May 11, 2012

New ISO standard to help improve costs

A new ISO management standard has been introduced to help businesses with the use of materials and identify ways to improve sustainability.

ISO 14051:2011 provides a general framework for material flow cost accounting, where they can be traced and quantified in physical units (e.g. mass, volume) and the costs associated with those material flows evaluated.

The aim is to use this information to identify financial benefits and reduce adverse environmental impacts. The system can be applied in any organization that uses materials and energy, regardless of their products, services, size, structure, location, and existing management and accounting systems.

It can also be used with other organisations a business works with in its supply chain, helping to develop an integrated approach to improve material and energy efficiency across the whole supply chain.

The framework in ISO 14051:2011 includes common terminologies, objective and principles, fundamental elements and implementation steps. But it is not intended for the purpose of third-party certification.

 

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May 3, 2012

Ways to improve energy efficiency in your business

Busy preparing for next week’s masterclass on Energy Efficiency. If you’re interested in coming along see our Environmental Masterclasses page or book at www.milescrossfarm.co.uk

Environmental Masterclasses

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April 25, 2012

Enviro funding on offer to Dorset businesses

Businesses  looking for additional help in implementing environmental initiatives can still apply for 50% match funding under the Improve Your Resource Efficiency (IYRE) programme.The funding is designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)  go green, reducing their carbon footprint and improve efficiencies within their business.

Criteria applies to funding applications with a minimum project spend of £2,000 where businesses receive £1,000. The funding is available to SMEs in Dorset which are growth businesses. The amount received is dependent on the likely carbon saving. An IYRE adviser calculates the CO2 equivalent saving and develops the grant application for the business.

A range of environmental initiatives have been implemented by businesses  using the IYRE funding including:

  •  Boiler replacements
  •  Lighting review and upgrading
  •  Insulation upgrade
  •  Replacing Motors & drives & compressed air units
  •  Recycling & waste reduction
  •  Working with environmental consultants
  • EMS development and ISO 14001 certification

Businesses have used funding to help with recycling programmes

Photo: supakitmod

The IYRE funding programme closes at the end of the year, so if you’re interested in finding out more contact janerayner@luluconsulting.co.uk

Don’t forget Lulu Consulting is running a series of environmental masterclasses – Reducing Your Carbon Footprint – over the next few months. See our Environmental Masterclasses page for more details.

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April 18, 2012

Wanted: Your views on business waste and recycling infrastructure

Planning issues, community resistance and inflexible finance options are some of the barriers cited for building a waste and recycling infrastructure in the UK. But there remains pressing need to build new facilities, both to fulfil obligations under EU legislation and to ensure we realise the inherent value in the materials that get thrown away.

Part of this new infrastructure will need to cater for the business community, with a network of reprocessing and treatment facilities that reflect the range and types of business waste that gets disposed. Future business waste infrastructure will need to be responsive to changing waste streams, such as the type of materials, their composition and quantities as well as be flexible to take advantage of new innovations and technologies.

Under the European Pathway to Zero Waste programme AEA is undertaking a series of workshops to get a better understanding of how to deliver this much needed waste infrastructure, discussing the barriers and identifying potential solutions. It is looking for input from a range of people involved in planning, permitting, infrastructure, financing, procurement, waste management contractors, local authority officers and waste producers.

Workshop attendees will be able to tour around SCA Recycling’s Southampton Materials Recovery Facility

The 16 workshops run between 1 May and 5 July and there will be an opportunity to visit different waste facilities, such as Materials Recovery Facilities, Anaerobic Digestion plants and Energy Recovery Facilities, as part of the day.

Lulu Consulting will be attending one of the workshops, so if you are a business that has views on the collection and reprocessing of your waste and recycling or the development of the waste infrastructure contact janerayner@luluconsulting.co.uk before 2 May and we will feed in your comments at the workshop.

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April 11, 2012

Young people keen to tackle climate change

An increasing number of young adults around the world are more concerned about climate change than their parents, and many believe recent natural disasters, such as flooding, are the result of climate change.

The Carbon Trust’s report A Global Survey of Young Adult’s Perceptions of Carbon and Climate Change provides an illuminating insight into young peoples’ attitudes to products and services and their potential environmental impact. The survey, which interviewed 18-25 year olds in China, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, UK and USA, found 60% of Chinese respondents would stop buying a product if its manufacturer refused to commit to measuring and reducing its carbon footprint and 83% would be more loyal to a brand if they could see it was taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint.

Interestingly the numbers for those surveyed in the UK were less high despite a high percentage being aware of the term carbon footprint and a desire to work towards reducing it. In the US young people were least concerned about climate change.

In emerging economies, such as Brazil, China and South Africa, it is clear there is a greater desire from younger people to tackle climate change issues and help to reduce the impact on the environment. Many may be unsure of the approach to take or how to achieve this but the concern is on their radar. Some of these people will be the ones in 10-15 years time that are likely to be the driving forces in manufacturing and technological development, determining how to attain a low-carbon economy. For them it will be part of normal business practice to be as resource efficient as possible across all parts of a company’s operations. Those not incorporating this view will not be considered good business partners.

In today’s global marketplace ensuring your company has done all it can to reduce its carbon footprint will provide for a more sustainable future. We’re already seeing the likes of Proctor & Gamble questioning the seriousness of some of their suppliers to reduce their environmental impact. In all likelihood this is only going to increase.

Lulu Consulting is running a series of Masterclasses Reducing Your Carbon Footprint, between April and June, aimed at small businesses who wish to learn how to become more resource efficient. More information is available under the Environmental Masterclasses pages.

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