Press Release

New survey released for world environment day

Friday, May 16 2008

The green game just got serious

Half of Britain’s bosses admit they are not doing enough to tackle climate change

Two thirds of employees want bosses to urgently cut carbon emissions

Climate change will transform the way businesses operate, and it’s a change that will happen globally. The new, low carbon economy offers huge opportunities.

A comprehensive survey carried out by one of the UK’s leading health, safety and sustainability charities, the British Safety Council (BSC), championing environmental change in businesses, asked 1,000 UK employees and 250 businesses leaders about their attitudes to safety and environmental issues at work.

The report revealed younger workers in particular believed their bosses were too slow in taking action to protect the environment. Only two in five thought their firm would actually take action on climate change in the next 12 months.

The survey revealed that whilst 80% of businesses say they recycle paper and half seek to cut energy use, their employees want more action in the face of the urgent need to cut global carbon emissions to avert catastrophic climate change.

Two out of three employees in the UK think the companies they work for should be doing more to tackle climate change. One in four UK workers (24%) feel that their employer is not committed to the environment. The worst offender in terms of lack of commitment to the environment is the catering/hospitality sector - 35% of workers in this sector say their firm is not committed.

Three-quarters (75%) of employers in larger businesses with more than 250 workers admit that their companies could do more to reduce their environmental impact. In companies with up to 50 workers, the figure is 52%.

Says Chay Champness, Deputy Chief Executive of the BSC: "Businesses are beginning to embrace the need and realise the business benefits of ‘going green’ - recycling being an obvious example. But a further step change is needed for businesses and their employees to make a far more significant contribution to protecting our environment through such measures as audits and environmental supply chain management."

He adds: "If the UK is to meet its carbon reduction target of 60% by 2050 at an affordable cost, then action will need to begin immediately. This survey highlights the urgency with which business in the UK must act in order to be ready for the opportunities of a new low carbon economy.

"Research consistently shows that consumers are influenced in their purchasing decisions by a company’s green credentials. Reduction of environmental impact, and clear communication of this message, would do a great deal to improve relations with consumers. It will take a hands-on approach from management to drive home the message that everyone, from school leavers to senior management, has a role to play."

Forty percent of bosses want training

When asked what would encourage greater action on climate change, more than half of employers said they needed better information and more assistance from the Government. Forty percent said they wanted training and one third would welcome an external environmental audit of the kind offered by the British Safety Council.

One in five employees said they were unclear about what they could do at work to help combat climate change. The survey reveals that just one third of firms have a nominated member of staff for environmental issues, with fewer than one in five businesses having undertaken an environmental audit with a view to achieving greater efficiencies and reducing the business’s carbon footprint.

To read the full report or for more information visit www.britsafe.org