Is the business environmental agenda just greenwash, or is it actually a positive contributor to good housekeeping?

Environmental issues have, over the last few years, increasingly moved up the business managers’ agenda. Often that move has been in response to legislative issues or supply chain pressure. For example the latest government white paper on company law states that Directors may have to “…take into account where practicable relevant matters such as their relationships with employees and the impact of the business on the community and on the environment”. However, unlike Health and Safety or Quality led issues, engaging with environmental issues can appear both confusing and a very broad based. As importantly what, if any, help is available to business?

Serving businesses across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, the Environment Centre (tEC) is one of the areas leading environmental service providers. It offers a range of services aimed at improving businesses competitiveness through increased resource efficiency, cost reduction and improved environmental performance. Services include a free telephone helpline (provided in conjunction with BusinessLink Wessex), quarterly magazine; member based environmental business club (SIEnA) and a wide range of seminars and training events.

One service provided by tEC (funded through BusinessLink Wessex) is the provision of a free 2 hour initial onsite visit. The visit is used to determine current environmental practice within the organisation (and it isn’t all negative) and determining areas in which improvements can be made. These provide a basis for an action plan that the business can then take forward either on its own or with help from BusinessLink Wessex and/or tEC.

Following a call to tEC, Hampshire Economic Partnership had such a visit last Autumn, and despite being a small office a number of actions were identified, which have realised cost savings as well as delivering environmental benefits. More importantly they have also resulted in a cultural change within the office that continues to help reduce operating costs. They include:

• Improved energy efficiency measures, including turning off all but essential electrical equipment at night/ weekends (Most businesses use 40% + of their electricity at night/weekends despite there being no staff on the premises. By observing best practice that figure can be reduced to 10/15% or better).

• Wherever possible reproducing papers copied on to double side paper. This has had a number of benefits, including reducing paper purchasing and just as importantly, postage costs. We have also reduced costs by reusing paper for internal note pads. (Reducing your waste has many hidden benefits, which can result in tangible cost savings. These however are often overlooked with the cost of the skip/bin the only actual direct waste cost identified).

• Ensuring meeting, seminar and event venues are easily accessible to all forms of transport and that bus/train information is included in the pre event literature. To support the theme of our 2003 annual conference we instigated a park and ride scheme from our office in Chilworth.

In answering the initial question perhaps it would be fair to say that engaging with the environmental agenda is not just greenwash, as it makes good business sense and contributes positively towards good house keeping.

For further information on any of the issues raised in the article above contact Campbell Williams of the HEP Environment task group/HNRI on 01962 845381.