To me it is inconceivable that every company doesn’t now know that they should be, and need to be, making changes to reduce their impact on our environment.  Most seem to acknowledge the need but there are still so many who are either in denial or are still in the process of “planning” to implement changes rather than actually doing something.

For those of you who have not started there is a clear demand from everyone concerned - clients as well as staff - to start doing something now.  For the majority of you that are doing something already there is probably still an enormous amount you can do. There is a real need for more action to be taken and businesses have a responsibility to become far more sustainable in every area of their operation if they are going to really reduce their environmental impact.  But how is action started?  Personally I go along with Bernard Shaw who said that “ All progress…depends on unreasonable people.”

Over the last 20 years or so I have seen major changes being adopted by firms simply because someone kept asking hard questions – like the administration clerk who set up a paper recycling scheme for her department that was so successful the whole firm was forced to adopt it, or the business that made huge environmental changes because the MD refused to accept the standard “we’ve always done it that way” response.

So when you start work tomorrow, what action are you going to take? What are you going to do to reduce your company’s environmental impact? It might seem like a personal question but if your company is going to make a difference that change needs to come from you. It is up to everyone, as a business owner, as an employee and as an individual to do their bit for the world we have so far exploited.

Tomorrow I’d like you to ask some pertinent questions:

  • What are we actually recycling and can we do more?

  • Can we and do we switch everything off that we don’t need?

  • Do we use the most environmental means of transport to conduct our business?

  • Now here’s a big one – “what do we buy?”   Do you know what the environmental impacts of those purchase are?  Do you know how they’re made?

Ask yourself what you have got to lose and the path to direct action will be clear.

Green-Works is an environmental charity and social enterprise that manages and recycles office furniture. More information about furniture removal or provision can be found by calling 0845 2302 231 or by visiting www.green-works.co.uk.

© Crimson Business Ltd. 2008