Making the green grade is now vital

ENVIRONMENTAL issues will become an increasingly important element of daily life for the borough’s business leaders.

This was the message from a breakfast seminar held at the Groundwork head office in Higginshaw when Robin Wilson, a senior environmental systems adviser with the charity, explained how Groundwork can support companies.

He agreed that environmental legislation is unlikely to become compulsory — although he suggested that the European Parliament may have a different take on such an agenda — but emphasised the many benefits, some financial, to companies achieving ISO environmental standards.

“Insurance companies, for instance, are taking increasingly critical views and some premiums are beginning to reflect how well companies are run and how robust are their environmental policies,” he told his audience of delegates from across Groundwork’s catchment area of Oldham and Rochdale.

There are also the issues of fines, spiralling costs associated with landfill taxes plus noise, odour and visual, all of which may impact on performance.

Mr Wilson pointed out the many benefits of achieving the standard ISO14001 and warned that some of the world’s largest firms — Ford and Shell to name but two — were becoming increasingly insistent that suppliers have the accreditation.

He added: “Basically it is about an organisational structure, a framework for delivery around planning, resources and practices.”

Sarah Ratcliffe and Amit Devanga, from manufacturing business United Springs, in Rochdale, underlined much of the presentation with their own experiences and pointed out that the automotive sector, from which they derive 60 per cent of turnover, is increasingly insisting that suppliers have environmental accreditation.

Sarah added: “We are also finding that 40 per cent of weighting in contracts and bids is rated on environmental policy.”

Mr Devanga delivered a damning final statistic: “Approaching 14,000 environmental certificates were issued worldwide last year, 7,000 in China, 3,000 in India and the balance in the rest of the world. It’s quite simple — we have to catch up.”