NEWS
ENVISION
and their balance sheet. Mike Palmer, Managing
Director of River Link, said: “We are very
Many businesses are increasing productivity conscious of our environmental responsibilities
and improving environmental performance and we asked Envision to look at our
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through changes to their facility management. operational system to see how it could be made
Businesses in the South West of England have even more environmentally efficient.
been benefiting from Envision – an “The knowledge and support of Envision has
environmental advisory service subsidised with identified a number of ways in which we can
Government funding. protect the environment, reduce the risk of
Environmental issues have been widely pollution and achieve considerable savings in
E
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championed within the householder and operation costs.”
consumer markets, but businesses have The company carries around 730,000
traditionally seen this area as a purely legislative passengers on its seven vessels every year – and
one. While there is undoubtedly a continuing can already claim to be at the forefront of green
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rise of ‘green tape’ issuing from Whitehall, tourism. Now the operator is set to be even
incorporating environmental performance to more eco-friendly. The Envision audit will result
your business plan is not just about conforming in River Link achieving a carbon emissions
to EU directives. It is also be about making a reduction of 260 tonnes a year, while making
significant difference to your profit margin and major cost savings of £13,000 a year on their
having a positive impact on your environment. fuel bills.
Dartmouth based ferry and pleasure cruise Now River Link is aiming to achieve a gold
operator River Link is on course to achieve award in the South Hams Green Business
improvements benefiting both their environment Tourism Scheme (it currently holds the silver
award). This couples with working towards the
nationally recognised standard Environmental A
T
’
S
Management System BS8555 which will further
reduce costs and environmental impact.
As Mark Hodgson, Senior Business Mentor
for Envision puts it: “A symbiotic relationship
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between business and the environment, given
the right guidance and a bit of entrepreneurial
spirit, makes perfect business sense. By factoring
environmental concerns and resource efficiency
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into business planning, companies can save
money, and become more sustainable.”
More information on Envision and
client case studies can be found at
www.envisionsw.org.uk or by calling
0845 456 9350.
• news • news • news • news • news • news • news •
IMAGE AND leading the way on • Only 1% believe genuine coverage
CONSUMER PRESSURE sustainability issues, and which concern for the • Majority of respondents
AHEAD OF GENUINE are more concerned with environment is the key (75%) believe it is better
CONCERN FOR THE image over substance. driver for UK companies for big business to own
ENVIRONMENT The results reveal increasing to adopt green policies up where they are not
FOOTSIE 100 companies are cynicism as to whether UK • Marks & Spencer (45%) green and show willing to
going green to protect their business is leading on and HSBC voted the top make any changes
reputation and under pressure environmental issues out of green winners - the Nick Murray-Leslie, Director,
from consumers, rather than a genuine desire to protect companies making the Chatsworth Communications
concern for the environment, the environment or if this is most genuine green effort comments: “Green-fatigue is
according to a UK-wide survey just greenwash aimed at • BP, Tesco and British setting in and companies need
of opinion formers. creating an eco-friendly Airways considered to be to rethink the way they
The Chatsworth FOOTSIE corporate image. most guilty of communicate their sustainability
100 green washers and green • The main motivation for ‘greenwash’ by programmes. We hope the
winners survey polled UK UK companies to adopt respondents results of this survey will provide
national and trade journalists, green policies is to • BP, Tesco and Marks & a timely reminder to UK
sustainability experts and protect their reputation Spencer have the highest business that their commitment
political groups, in the first (27%) followed by profile and most effective to the environment needs to
major survey of its kind to consumer pressure (20%) green publicity be sustained and genuine to
measure the perception of and good business campaigns in terms of convince the public and
which UK companies are sense (18%)
SUSTAINABLE FM | OCTOBER 2007
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