It’s going to be a Catastrophe…

These were the words of Martha Lane Fox, dotcom entrepreneur and President of the British Chambers of Commerce

By Mark Jenkinson Crystal Associates and SELCC Board Member

Speaking in front of an illuminated Sphinx in the British Museum’s exhibition on ancient Egypta once great civilisation - the message had a positive twist. If we act decisively, we can turn things around for our planet, while creating significant opportunities for people and business.

Sent from Coventry

Earlier that day, another President, our very own Helen McIntosh, moderated a webinar by new SE London Chamber members, Coventry University. Lecturer Luisa Sykes explained what sustainability means for business and shared a common definition:

“Sustainability is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

The webinar set out how businesses can develop a comprehensive framework to apply sustainability to their business practices and lever this as a competitive advantage.

We also touched on what attendees would be prepared to change in their lifestyles to save the planet. Ideas included driving and flying less, eating more local produce, less meat and dairy and avoiding single-use plastics. What would you be prepared to change?

If you missed the webinar, then fear not! It’s available on the SE London Chamber website.

Bromley’s green hub

On 12th September Helen and I joined the launch of the new green skills lab at London South East Colleges’ (LSEC) Bromley campus, and it was an honour to say a few words.

The green lab comprises of rigs which will allow plumbing and electrical students to work on heat pumps, solar panels, solar thermal and electric vehicle charging points to support their future green careers. I encourage any local employees to get involved.

Later that week we ran an introduction to sustainability session for over 200 electrical, plumbing and built environment students at both LSEC’s Bromley and Holly Hill campus in Bexley. They were also introduced to the rigs as well as an insight into the wide range of career opportunities construction and the built environment provides.

Back in Bexley

It was great to be back in Bexley a week later courtesy of the Metro Bank Bexleyheath.

Sustainability was again the main agenda topic, with Bexley Council announcing the availability of 50 free licences for the carbon management tool, Climate Essentials. The tool helps SMEs to calculate their carbon footprint and develop an action plan get them on the net zero journey.

The Council also revealed a whole host of other business support.

All on the day the Government made its own net zero announcement. An announcement which received criticism from many business groups.

The Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Other countries and trading blocs are pouring billions into low-carbon technology, and we are getting left behind.

“But if we get this right, and play to our country’s strengths then there is huge opportunity for UK Plc. It is vital we have a long-term Net Zero strategy which Government must demonstrate it can stick to.”

Greener Greenwich

First, an early announcement; we plan to hold the next Greener Greenwich Summit for Greenwich businesses in early March 2024. Keep your eyes on the website and Masthead Light for details. Playing my own small part in helping to make the world a little greener, the next phase of my home retrofit is almost complete. Forced to rectify a leaking roof and replace broken and missing tiles, I took the opportunity to install external insulation among the rafters. Shockingly but not surprisingly, there was no insulation previously! I’m sure with a properly insulated roof what used to be the coldest rooms in the house may become the warmest.

Its now time to plan the next project!

ESG: from talk to action

One benefit of writing your own column and holding the proverbial pen, you get the chance to promote some of the things you’re doing!

On the 31 October I’m running a free to attend breakfast networking session on ESG. ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) in real estate is gradually becoming a requirement across the sector for businesses large and small. The challenge for many companies is how to move from strategy to practice. The aim of this panel discussion is to make sense of ESG across the sector, touch on new and emerging market, policy and regulatory priorities and provide suggestions on how to start embedding ESG practice into business as usual.

You can see more details in the weekly Masthead Light. If you see this too late, don’t worry. Just drop me a line.

In summary

Another busy quarter ends and a lot has been achieved. However, we’ve got a lot more to do with lots of opportunity, and an equally busy period ahead.

I would recommend taking a quick look at the climate clock website which shows a countdown to 2030, a key year for London’s ambition to be net zero and develop a green economy of over £100 billion with over half a million green jobs.

So, get on board as soon as you can and take advantage of the support available. In the words inspired by that dotcom company, don’t leave it to lastminute.com!