The Green Economy in Bristol and the West of ... - Miguel Mendonça
The Green Economy in Bristol and the West of ... - Miguel Mendonça
The Green Economy in Bristol and the West of ... - Miguel Mendonça
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Annex A<br />
O<strong>the</strong>r green economy aspects<br />
As <strong>the</strong> def<strong>in</strong>itions section suggests, <strong>the</strong> low carbon,<br />
green economy has many faces. It is not just<br />
renewables <strong>and</strong> energy efficiency. It is about us<strong>in</strong>g<br />
resources more wisely, it is about reuse, repurpos<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
recycl<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> creation or improvement <strong>of</strong><br />
materials, products <strong>and</strong> processes. It is almost<br />
<strong>Green</strong><strong>in</strong>g Retail: Marks <strong>and</strong> Spencer Plan A<br />
<strong>The</strong> UK economy is dom<strong>in</strong>ated by <strong>the</strong> service sector,<br />
estimated at over 77% <strong>in</strong> 2010. With<strong>in</strong> this, retail<br />
plays a major part. Of <strong>the</strong> UK’s retailers, Marks <strong>and</strong><br />
Spencer is commonly considered to be a retailer that<br />
truly ‘gets it’, on <strong>the</strong> subject <strong>of</strong> green<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
<strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>and</strong> operations. In 2007 <strong>the</strong>y launched a<br />
programme called ‘Plan A’, for a number <strong>of</strong> stated<br />
reasons: “to embed <strong>the</strong> susta<strong>in</strong>able management <strong>of</strong><br />
relationships <strong>and</strong> resources across our operations<br />
<strong>and</strong> beyond, <strong>the</strong>reby driv<strong>in</strong>g cost sav<strong>in</strong>gs,<br />
accelerat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>novation, <strong>and</strong> safeguard<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> future<br />
<strong>of</strong> our supplier, employee <strong>and</strong> customer bases.” 78<br />
Plan A has <strong>the</strong> guid<strong>in</strong>g vision <strong>of</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> company<br />
<strong>the</strong> world’s most susta<strong>in</strong>able retailer. This is built<br />
upon seven pillars: Climate Change, Waste, Natural<br />
Resources, Fair Partner, Wellbe<strong>in</strong>g, How We Do<br />
Bus<strong>in</strong>ess (embedd<strong>in</strong>g Plan A <strong>in</strong> systems <strong>and</strong><br />
processes) <strong>and</strong> Involv<strong>in</strong>g our Customers. <strong>The</strong>re are<br />
180 commitments relat<strong>in</strong>g to material impacts, <strong>and</strong><br />
ambitions regard<strong>in</strong>g go<strong>in</strong>g carbon neutral, send<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Sell<strong>in</strong>g services, not products<br />
Aga<strong>in</strong> on <strong>the</strong> subject <strong>of</strong> retail, <strong>the</strong> government’s<br />
Waste <strong>and</strong> Resources Action Programme (WRAP)<br />
has called for £180 billion per year <strong>of</strong> household<br />
spend<strong>in</strong>g to shift from buy<strong>in</strong>g to hir<strong>in</strong>g items, <strong>and</strong><br />
estimate that 90% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tool market could make this<br />
switch by 2050. Several dedicated websites have<br />
emerged which facilitate this approach, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Ecomodo, Zilok <strong>and</strong> Rentmyitems. <strong>The</strong> term<br />
‘rentrepreneur’ has been co<strong>in</strong>ed for people hir<strong>in</strong>g<br />
certa<strong>in</strong>ly about chang<strong>in</strong>g m<strong>in</strong>dsets, <strong>and</strong> arguably,<br />
perhaps <strong>the</strong> logic <strong>and</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> macro economic<br />
system itself. Beyond <strong>the</strong> environmental technologies<br />
sector, <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r green goods <strong>and</strong> services, <strong>the</strong>re are<br />
many o<strong>the</strong>r pert<strong>in</strong>ent approaches <strong>and</strong> activities<br />
tak<strong>in</strong>g shape locally <strong>and</strong> at <strong>the</strong> national level.<br />
zero waste to l<strong>and</strong>fill <strong>and</strong> pay<strong>in</strong>g factory workers a<br />
fair liv<strong>in</strong>g wage. Reported benefits <strong>in</strong>clude £70m <strong>of</strong><br />
cost sav<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> 2010/11, which <strong>the</strong>y have re<strong>in</strong>vested<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternally towards <strong>in</strong>creased resilience. Notable cobenefits<br />
<strong>in</strong>clude improved staff motivation, <strong>in</strong>creased<br />
supply cha<strong>in</strong> resilience <strong>and</strong> anticipation <strong>of</strong> chang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
risk <strong>and</strong> regulation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company has chosen to open up potential for<br />
new markets <strong>in</strong> a number <strong>of</strong> areas by support<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>novation projects <strong>in</strong> energy efficiency, water<br />
consumption, dual fuel vehicles, susta<strong>in</strong>able textile<br />
fabrics, reduc<strong>in</strong>g food waste, lowerfat dairy<br />
products, susta<strong>in</strong>able farm<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> mov<strong>in</strong>g freight to<br />
rail. <strong>The</strong>y are fur<strong>the</strong>r committ<strong>in</strong>g to a target <strong>of</strong><br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g all <strong>the</strong>ir products tick at least one Plan A box<br />
by 2020, for example Fairtrade, organic or free<br />
range. <strong>The</strong> purpose is to <strong>in</strong>fluence <strong>the</strong> whole retail<br />
value cha<strong>in</strong>, from suppliers to customers. 79<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir household items, or even <strong>the</strong>ir house <strong>and</strong> car, to<br />
locals, tourists or visit<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess people. <strong>The</strong> DIY<br />
cha<strong>in</strong> B&Q is exam<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> potential to move to a<br />
hir<strong>in</strong>g model. Research shows that many household<br />
tools have a very short work<strong>in</strong>g life, with <strong>the</strong> average<br />
power drill be<strong>in</strong>g used for just 15 m<strong>in</strong>utes <strong>in</strong> its life. 80<br />
Dow Chemical has explored this approach <strong>in</strong> its<br />
SafeChem bus<strong>in</strong>ess, where <strong>the</strong>y sell a clean<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Green</strong> <strong>Economy</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Bristol</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong> <strong>of</strong> Engl<strong>and</strong><br />
31