The writer is managing director of Iceland Foods
Heavy-polluting industries are already trying to take advantage of the one-year delay to COP26, the global climate change summit, caused by coronavirus. Their siren calls demanding legislators pull back from environmental targets are growing louder. Governments have a duty to ignore them just as business leaders have a duty to demonstrate that there is a clear economic advantage, and appetite, in prioritising a green recovery.
Actions speak louder than words and that is why, at Iceland, we have cut our food waste by nearly a quarter in the past two years, on top of our commitment to removing single-use plastic and palm oil from our operations. I am also supporting the UK government’s Council for Sustainable Business which is bringing together global industry leaders this month to agree tangible ways to tackle the two biggest environmental challenges of our time: climate change and biodiversity decline. We will focus on action, not talk.
The first item on the agenda is ensuring that the environment is prioritised in economic recovery plans. A poll last month showed that two-thirds of Britons consider climate change as serious an issue as Covid-19 and want tackling it to remain a priority. It always makes sound business sense to listen to the customer, and governments must not ignore the public either.
Requiring companies that receive state support during coronavirus to make a commitment to achieving net zero in their operations before 2050 would show that the government is serious. If airlines need funds, they should commit to cutting emissions and developing new technologies, such as hybrid planes and sustainable fuels.
The next item is tax. Over the past two months, the government has demonstrated it can make the tax system far more dynamic than previously believed. We know many taxes will need to end, and new ones may well be introduced to ensure economic recovery. It is vital that a fresh system rewards good environmental outcomes and penalises bad behaviour. Longstanding tax breaks for the fossil-fuel industry need to be removed. The government should prioritise the delivery of 100 per cent renewable energy generation while providing incentives for businesses to reduce carbon use and enhance nature.
Finally, the UK must highlight the many ways that business can power a green recovery. This requires a whole new way of looking at entire sectors.
Infrastructure projects should be reimagined: a nationwide rollout of superfast fibre broadband is now far more urgent than a third runway at Heathrow airport. As buildings and construction account for up to 40 per cent of all carbon emissions, we should free up the planning system to push ahead with building greener, more efficient homes. Reducing carbon “in use” with better insulation and air-source heating is a must; and lowering carbon “in build” is also a huge opportunity — timber-framed construction should be preferred over polluting steel and concrete.
Businesses of all kinds should be rewarded for improving and caring for their local environments, which can also help in the fight against climate change. Charities such as The Wildlife Trusts are working with businesses and local councils to help them protect and promote the latent biodiversity within office developments, industrial estates and land holdings.
In food production and retailing, we should push for mandatory commitments to halve food waste by 2030. Deforestation in supply chains should be eliminated by law. And all packaging — not just plastic — should be reduced.
Nothing could be more misguided than suspending environmental targets because of Covid-19. Now is the time for policymakers to work with industry to deliver a truly green, clean and resilient economic recovery.
Source: Economy - ft.com
