Making sustainability more than just a buzzword

Bees are among the most loved and familiar garden insects — and play a crucial role in our ecosystem

The sight and sound of them moving from fl ower to fl ower is a quintessential part of British summertime but sadly these charismatic creatures are struggling • to survive. In our modern world of paved gardens and intensive • agriculture, our bumblebees fi nd themselves hungry and homeless.

Why are bees important?

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s • expert conservation teamwork supports bumblebee-friendly habitats, raising awareness and gathers scientifi c evidence about bumblebee populations, to safeguard the future of these iconic insects and vital pollinators.

According to the charity, in the last 80 years, our bumblebee populations have crashed. Two species have become nationally extinct, and several others have declined dramatically.

Bees are pollinators and play a critical role in healthy ecosystems, so are essential for our food production. Pollinators are worth a staggering £690 million per annum to the UK economy, and more than three-quarters of the world’s food crops are in part dependent on them. How can you help?

Most of us tend to think of bees in relation to pollination, yet insect pollinators are an incredibly diverse group. Honeybees are mostly kept in managed hives and are likely responsible for pollinating between 5 to 15% of the UK’s insect-pollinated crops. That leaves 85 to 95% of the UK’s insect-pollinated crops relying on wild pollinators. Many species of bee, moth, butterfl y, hoverfl y, fl y and beetle provide an essential service in the UK (and globally) pollinating £690 million worth of crops annually. Taking over this job ourselves would be diffi cult and time-consuming and would cost us an estimated £1.8 billion every year.

But there are ways you can help to encourage populations to thrive in the UK once again, according to The Wildlife Trust. Plant for pollinators

Grow more nectar-rich fl owers, shrubs, and trees to provide for pollinators throughout the year.

Let your garden grow wild

Leaving patches of land to grow wild let wildfl owers grow and make great nesting and feeding sites.

Put away the pesticide

They can harm pollinators and many other benefi cial invertebrates. Consider alternatives and only use pesticides as a last resort.

Leave the lawnmower

Cut your grass less often and remove cuttings to let plants fl ower.

Is buying honey an issue?

Done right, bee farming can be benefi cial for wild populations and still allow you to enjoy honey.

When choosing honey try to go for something local, from individual beekeepers who practice sustainability. This way you know where your honey is coming from and can cut down on the carbon emissions used to ship honey to your local supermarket. In the spotlight Environmental Justice Foundation

The climate crisis is an existential threat to humanity. Nations with the greatest responsibility for greenhouse gases must contribute fairly, achieving zero carbon by 2035. Decisive action is not a ‘cost’, but an investment, not just in the future, but in survival. Visit ejfoundation.org for more.

by Laura Forsyth

Fight for the future of the ocean

The ocean is at a tipping point – will you join The Marine Conservation Society and fi ght for its future?

The importance of the planet’s ocean cannot be overstated. The ocean covers over 70% of the planet. The ocean provides more than half the oxygen in the atmosphere and absorbs nearly a third of the carbon emissions1. The ocean provides numerous benefi ts and is key to helping regulate the climate, through absorbing huge amounts of heat from the sun. Not to mention, the ocean transports heat from the equator to the poles,

precious habitats are being destroyed, often home to the planet’s most endangered species

regulating the Earth’s climate and weather patterns.

But today, the ocean is in crisis. Right now, waters are being polluted and precious habitats are being destroyed, often home to the planet’s most endangered species. Humanity is harming the wonderful wildlife that call the ocean home and reducing the ocean’s ability to help fi ght the climate crisis.

The statistics bring home just how precarious the situation is. The UK has lost up to 92% of its seagrass in the last century2. A third of UK seas are protected on paper but less than 1% of seas are in well-managed marine protected areas3, with only 5% of the UK’s marine protected areas safe from bottom trawling.4 Every year between 9 to 14 million tonnes of plastics enter the ocean.5

But through working together, this damage can be reversed. Working with communities, businesses, governments, and people just like you, the Marine Conservation Society is fi ghting for cleaner, healthier, and better protected seas. By joining the Marine Conservation Society as a member, you can help too.

Wondering how you can help join this process for change? There are numerous ways to get involved and fi ght for the future of the ocean. Through campaigning, donating, or volunteering you’ll join a movement of people all over the country, eager to see change.

Please join The Marine Conservation Society today and help them fi ght for the future of the ocean.

It’s true, animal derived products are used in the screens in your computer, your phone and many other devices

That’s probably not the only problem your vegan business has with technology – most vegan businesses that The Vegan IT Company talk to say that technology makes their job harder, not easier.

At The Vegan IT Company, they are on a mission to help vegan businesses to start, grow and scale by taking technology, process and systems off their list of things to worry about.

Their approach to systemising and scaling businesses is built around the three pillars of people, process and technology.

People always come fi rst, because without the right culture and training, no amount of technology is going to help a business grow. When your processes are sound, you can use technology to improve effi ciency, but when they aren’t you’re just doing the wrong thing faster.

Finally, they look at the right technology that’s needed to deliver on the business objectives and run these processes. They’re experts in integrating diff erent systems to avoid copying and pasting.

They regularly challenge software providers on their environmental credentials and they’re lobbying the industry to stop using animal products in computer and phone screens. Whether it’s as simple as fi nding a carbon neutral laptop or as complex as integrating ordering, inventory and reporting systems, they’re here to help vegan businesses, both large and small.

Find out more

Get in touch today at the website veganit.company, quoting THE CHECKLIST for a free consultation.