Key Environmental Topics

The environment is becoming an increasingly important issue. Public concern about the environment creates opportunities and pressures for businesses. Ever more stringent regulations are forcing business to put in new systems to limit their harmful impact on the environment.

• Energy With an estimated £90 million wasted by UK companies annually though unnecessary energy use or inefficiencies, simple measures should be taken to save energy.
• Environmental Management System An Environmental Management System (EMS) provides a structured framework for a business or organisation to manage their environmental performance and comply with legislation.
• Green Building Design and sustainable construction is becoming increasingly popular in our society. As buildings consume significant resources, it is important that green buildings cause the minimum impact on the environment.
• Pollution is anything that disturbs or is a hazard to the natural environment. This can range from noise and light to chemical smog and poisonous effluent.
• Recycling With landfill space rapidly decreasing and landfill tax increasing at £3 per tonne per year, recycling should be a priority for businesses.
• Staff Training The key to success with any environmental management plan is staff training.
• Supply chain Part of an environmental policy should be to consider the company supply-chain. This is particularly relevant if your suppliers are large and well-known companies. Using suppliers who have poor environmental performance could negatively reflect on your own company.
• Transport is commonly used for the everyday operations of a business, and also by staff travelling to and from the workplace. It is perceived as a challenging environmental issue for businesses but should not be overlooked. The amount that can be done is greater than you would initially expect.
• Waste The average cost of waste is 4% of turnover. This cost can be reduced by up to 25% with waste minimisation measures. Waste is a cost and reducing it can save money at little or no extra cost to your company.
• Water Companies adopting a systematic approach to water minimisation typically achieve a 20-50% reduction in water used.