Doing the right thing will not cost the earth – it will probably save you money.

With interest rates rises, high fuel costs, the cost-of-living crisis and the poor state of the UK economy there are calls for the Government to roll back on their plans for Net Zero by 2050. The argument is that it will cost consumers and businesses money when they can least afford it. A recent survey found that a staggering 85 per cent of car dealers do not believe the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars in 2030 will go ahead as currently planned. There may never be an ideal time to introduce these changes, probably the best time was 25 years ago and the second best now.

The Government’s independent advisers, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) estimates it will require an extra £50bn of investment per year, by 2030. The key part of that statement is investment! Just think had we invested in well-insulated homes years ago we would now be reaping the benefits and would not have been so badly affected by the recent massive hike in energy prices.

I stayed in a hotel at the weekend and was reminded of the measures that the hospitality industry has taken to reduce their carbon footprint, although I expect it was driven by a desire to reduce costs and the green agenda gave them the opportunity. Guests are requested to reuse towels if they were staying for more than one night, this has massively reduced laundry costs and the costs associated with changing towels over. Many corridors in hotels no longer have the lights constantly on, instead sensors turn the lights on when needed. And some hotels have sensors on windows so that the heating and air-conditioning turn off when they are open preventing wasted heating and cooling. Good for the planet and good for companies’ bottom line.

Savings can occur in other areas as well. Every year when the Government raises the minimum wage there is always and outcry from businesses saying that they cannot afford the extra cost. If you take a wider view employers cannot afford to not pay more than the living wage. The estimated number of workers in Great Britain suffering a work-related illness is 1.8 million with stress, depression, and anxiety making up around half of cases. (Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures published November 2022). Worries around being able to pay bills and put food on the table are a big driver of stress, anxiety and depression. More pay – more days at work and more productive workdays. The Government cynically (in my opinion) call the rate for workers over 23 years of age (£10.42) the National Living Wage. It is not a living wage, although it is closer to it than it has been in the past. The Living Wage Foundation calculates the Real Living Wage at £10.90 with an uplift to £11.95 in London. Organisations paying the Real Living Wage report substantial benefits; easier staff recruitment, less costs associated with staff turnover, happier staff and that translates into happier and more customers. I for example only buy my beer from Real Living Wage employers; the national brewer BrewDog and two Cornish breweries, Verdant in Penryn and Firebrand in Launceston. I try and make as many as my purchases as I can from Real Living Wage accredited businesses and other decisions are influence by it, such as whether I will be a trustee of a particular charity. I was recently approached by Bosence Farm Community Ltd, a charity registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide residential substance misuse treatment services. The first thing I did was check to see if they were a Real Living Wage employer. They were, so I followed through and became a trustee about 6 months ago.

Do your business some good and do the right thing.

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