Herts Go Green and Grow

Agroup of passionately committed organisations including Net Zero International, KGK Genix, JPA Workspaces, Estu Global and Insight MCL, the Herts Go Green and Grow Group has now been meeting for 18 months becoming an invaluable networking tool for like-minded organisations across Hertfordshire.

The aim of the group was to raise business and community awareness of the need to reduce greenhouse gases and address common challenges through informal engagement and a safe space to ask those ‘big dumb questions’ we are all learning.

The cross-industry mix of participants includes larger organisations such as CAE Technologies; Mitsubishi and the RO Group; local authorities including Broxbourne and Hertsmere Borough Councils; SMEs including SA Law; Hillier Hopkins; Longmores; Cariad; Indigo Tree and The Boffin Lab and charities including Herts Young Homeless. This diversity provides a unique sounding board underpinned by a wide range of shared knowledge, expertise and, most of all, friendly faces.

With six of the top 10 global risks over the next 10 years identified as environmental in the 2023 Global Risk Register, carbon reduction is no longer a speciality forum or niche subject but clearly a business essential for survival and, importantly, growth.

For Hertfordshire businesses targeting public money, stringent requirements are already in place, e.g. organisations wanting to deal with the NHS must commit to and publish a net-zero target of 2045 or earlier. The first local authorities hope to be carbon neutral by 2028 with a further 104 by 2030, so if we want to work with them, we need to reflect their thinking.

To win day-to-day business with larger organisations, the increasing minimum expectation for suppliers is an ability to demonstrate responsible operation, including commitment to Net Zero 2050, scope 1 and 2 emissions calculations and basic carbon/waste planning. Director level commitment is essential, otherwise actions will never become embedded and behaviours will not change. As Chamber members we all want to help our businesses grow. Developing our environmental credentials is now a fundamental part of future business development planning and a sound long-term investment. This does not mean high outlay and high spend but it does mean starting the conversation at all levels in our businesses now. You may be surprised and find these conversations lead to savings and efficiencies which improve the bottom line.

From November, Herts Go Green and Grow will be more widely available to members and bookable on the Chamber’s events website, so look out for our new name, coming soon. Meetings will be bi-monthly with published agendas so members can commit time accordingly. Tell us what areas you are struggling with or what challenges are stopping progress and we will do our best to help.

With 18 months down, some great connections and more importantly friendships made, we are looking forwards to the 18 months of HGG&G.

Fiona Edwards, JPA Workspaces.