Discard the "Dustbin of Europe" label

Having bemoaned the horrors of blatant rubbish dumping in Cairo – a city where recycling is a dirty word and where pollution from the city centre dump and offensive smoke belching from factories and traffic fumes permeates every space – I was horrified to read how almost 10,000 tonnes of waste (the equivalent of 851 bin lorries worth) that should have been recycled in Yorkshire last year ended up on tips or being burned.

Such headlines make Britain, labelled by Paul Bettison as: “The dustbin of Europe, with more rubbish being thrown into landfill than any other country on the continent” a laughing stock.

They also make us seriously question our commitment to attaining our share of EU recycling targets (50 per cent for municipal waste by 2020) which would save emissions equivalent to more than 89 million tonnes of CO2 per year – the equivalent to taking 31 million cars off the road.

Campaigners are calling on the UK Government to support and implement these targets to realise our vision of a low-carbon economy. As two thirds of all household rubbish can be recycled, we can maximise facilites provided by retail “champions.”

As businesses, we can also adopt responsible practices outside of recycling initiatives that can deliver both environmental and economic benefits.

For those of you looking for a starting point, the Carbon Trust’s SME Footprint Calculator will give you an idea of your firm’s carbon footprint – then you can look at reducing it.

For a comprehensive list, Business Climate Change Champions have produced an excellent guide, but steps we have already taken at Quest include:

• Turning down your heating – costs rise by 8 per cent for every 1^oC incremental increase
• Switch off equipment when not in use – avoiding stand-by modes can cut cots by 30 per cent
• Maximise natural light and reduce use of artificial light

Let’s all do something more this week as householders and businesses to help reach these targets and make us proud of our contribution

Reaping the rewards of an ethical approach

When M&S chief executive Stuart Rose was knighted in the New Year’s Honours List, the accolade was awarded for services to retail industry (no surprise there) and to corporate social reponsibility.

His CSR credentials were burnished most recently – and most impressively – when he balanced the customer-empowering “Your M&S” campaign with the “Plan A” environmental initiative (so called “because there is no plan B”). The twin strategy has done much to brush up what had become a rather haggard-looking corporate image and M&S now tops Management Today’s Most Admired Companies poll with the highest-ever score.

Yet the strategy was not merely an image-enhancing exercise. Despite today’s gloomy share-price news, M&S has still enjoyed a positive change in its financial fortunes and in doing so has illustrated very clearly that “profit” and “principles” are no longer mutually exclusive concepts (if, indeed, they ever truly were). In fact, these days they can make very comfortable bedfellows.

According to the Co-op Bank’s ethical consumerism report 2007, the total ethical market in Britain is now estimated to be worth £32.3 billion – up 9% on the previous year – and growing. What’s more, companies taking the lead on environmental, social and governance performance have outperformed the stock market by 25% over the last two years. Conversely, companies deemed unethical can suffer: Nike, Nestlé and Barclays Bank have all been hit by boycotts over allegedly unethical practices.

The fact is that consumers increasingly value values – and not just low prices. Given the rewards available to companies with strong ethical positions – and the penalties awaiting those who ignore the ethical aspect of modern business life – there is more reason than ever to adopt a robust CSR agenda. As Dr Emma Harvey of CSR Consortium member SaltaSustainable points out, “There’s really no excuse not to.”

Good intentions up in smoke

A classic PR clanger this week saw Gordon Brown being warned by Nasa that his plans to build new coal-fired power stations will produce more - instead of less - carbon emissions.

Such an example highlights that the CO2 education process is more aligned to a long haul marathon as opposed to a quick channel hop.

In the countdown to 2008, enlightened businesses seeking to reduce their greenhouse emissions back up ethical statements with responsible actions. These ‘CSR savvy’ organisations are confident in the knowledge that following this path is more than just good PR - it’s about achieving competitive advantage.

Quest is proud to be a member of a newly-launched CSR Consortium spearheaded by CSR strategist Mervin Straughan.

The Consortium draws on its expertise to enable companies to link responsible business to improved financial performance. And with 9 in 10 employees in the UK believing it is important for their employer to be environmentally and socially responsible. Click here. (Source: Financial Times) it is vital that bosses listen to the messages – especially in light of the war for top talent which is forecast to further accelerate in 2008.