How can Businesses Tackle Environmental Issues in the UK?

Posted by Shawn Mike on December 17th, 2019

On May 2^nd, 2019, the UK’s Climate Change Committee issued its government an environmental report that included information regarding how the government can control global issues by meeting certain eco-friendly targets. Although the government was the recipient of this report, the guidelines or advice were directed at the UK’s business sector. This report further emphasized on the Climate Change Act of 2008, which set a goal for the British government to control greenhouse gases’ emission and lower it by 80pc by 2050.

In the following years, the British government has and still is introducing preventative measures, penalties, fines, and taxes to curb the eco-neutral practices of established industries. However, trying to control the destructive impact of businesses on the environment seems like a half baked plan since households and individuals also play a massive role in harming the natural habitat.

Currently, the UK faces the biggest environmental threats in the form of climate change, soil contamination and erosion, litter, waste, and air pollution among many others. Considering the damaging impacts, the circular economy is gaining traction in the UK region. In simpler words, the circular economy means creating products with maximum usage and once it reaches towards its end cycle, the product is recycled into a new product. This form of the economy not only promotes sustainability in the businesses but also boosts the economy, conserves the environment, and maximizes resources.

In the current years, individuals and enterprises are becoming aware of climate change. They are also replacing environmentally destructive habits with eco-friendly ones to alleviate some of the pressure on the natural habitat. This trend is evident in the changing behaviors of individuals as they gravitate towards companies that practice eco-friendly strategies. But that is not all since industries and their employees are also making conscious choices to increase their business and create a positive impact on the environment.

According to a study by Forbes, it was discovered that 68% of employees will consider resigning from their posts if they found out that their company’s current practices are harming the environment.

Considering all the information listed above, there is no denying that the British government along with its businesses is looking for sustainable practices to curb environmental damages. However, many of the businesses are still unclear regarding the eco-friendly practices since the British government lacks clear-cut climate change regulations. There is no doubt that the UK is seen as climate change’s world leader but in the absence of any stable environmental policies, the businesses find it challenging to strategize or make decisive decisions.

This is a policy pitfall that is expected to be filled by the Committee on Climate Change’s report regarding preventative measures to limit global warming. In the meanwhile, businesses can take up a proactive approach and demonstrate a socially-responsible image by practicing the following strategies.

Adopt New Materials and Technologies

As opposed to the conventional method of production and traditional material, businesses can look for alternatives to their current practices and introduce significant changes in their packaging, materials, and ingredients.

The current technological advances have resulted in sustainable production methods along with recyclable material. To have an impact on the UK environment, businesses need to research sustainable practices and identify eco-friendly replacements to their usual product’s components and formulas.   

Evaluate Internal Process

Every little effort helps in the long run. Businesses must regulate their working environment and identify the spots that could be replaced with alternatives to achieve a positive outcome. Controlling excessive consumption and restricting waste will not only save money but will also lead to the preservation of useful resources. Here are some areas where businesses can introduce change:

• Recycling: Putting recycling bins in and around the business property is a small effort, yet one which will have a positive impact on the environment. Also, placing recycling bins on the premises will ensure a circular economy. Apart from the recycling bins, the employees along with the employers must be provided with personal wastebaskets to further instill a habit of recycling.
• Eliminating Excessive Consumption: To successfully implement this strategy, businesses would be required to educate their employees on the negative impacts of the excessive consumption trend. In addition, the employees must be taught about the negative implications of consuming excessive power or keeping unnecessary lights on.
• Travelling Policies: In almost all of the UK businesses, there is not any defined travelling policy. Travelling consumes fuel and other useful resources and if not controlled, it will burn through the irreplaceable resources in a short span of time. Considering this, there is a need for stringent travelling policies that focus on cutting down unnecessary travel. For instance, instead of travelling to the office for a meeting, why not conduct an online video conference and vice versa.

Conduct Sustainability Audits

Sustainability audits are an important tool that companies use to compare their practices with sustainable practices and make the necessary changes.  In the British industrial environment, there is a strong need for sustainability audits since it allows companies to cut back on harmful practices and instead implement changes that could help in restoring the natural balance. So, industries must analyze their practices and look for areas that could be replaced with sustainable strategies for optimum results. That said, having a successful sustainable audit in place will help businesses establish a well-thought sustainability plan in place.

Reduce Paper Waste

Paper is easily the most recyclable material on the planet yet that still does not provide us with a green light to produce or waste excessive paper. The business sector is the largest contributor to paper waste since they print promotional material that gets thrown out after a single read and order business cards most of which stay in the cupboard and gathers dust.

It is high time that businesses change their habits and move towards the digitization of their marketing efforts. Instead of using papers to promote their business, they need to use social media, email, and other forms of online marketing to spread the word about their services. It does not matter whether you have a carpet cleaning London business or any other venture, digitizing your marketing efforts will have the same effect on your service as that of paper marketing.

Conclusion

For businesses, tackling the climatic issues begins by understanding their influence or role. It also helps when companies identify their stance on the issue of global warming. Plenty of climate acts exist and many more are yet to come; however, regardless of how many policies the UK government introduces, the change will not be apparent unless businesses treat this issue on an urgent basis.

It is all about managing the carbon footprint. By practicing the right strategies and by making conscious choices, businesses can not only influence the climate but can also save costs and improve the health of their employees.