How do I persuade my employer to act on climate change?

There are lots of pressures on businesses to be taking action on issues such as energy use – not least increasing fuel prices.

You may find, once you start asking, that some of these issues are already being looked at, and that your employer welcomes staff interest and involvement in making changes. After all, most changes in working practices don’t stand much chance if workers don’t understand or support them.

Benefits for business

If your employer isn’t even looking at these issues yet, there are plenty of good arguments to win them over.

• Reduced costs Efficiency can cut the amount the company spends on power, consumables, waste management and disposal, water bills, hardware, and transport bills.
• Better reputation Customers, workers and potential recruits all prefer companies with a clean, green record.
• Safer future Whether for ethical or financial reasons, increasing numbers of investors only go for businesses that have environmentally responsible policies. Companies need to be ready for the challenges of climate change: almost 80% of the FTSE 100 companies have identified climate change as a business risk, according to the Carbon Neutral Company.
• Tax savings and subsidies Reducing environmental impact can have tax benefits, and there are also government grants and subsidies available for actions in some areas. The TUC’s Go green at work handbook for a summary, or visit the The Carbon Trust or government Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) websites for details.