When will sustainable business simply be business?

As with all sound moves in society and business in particular, there comes a time when there is no need to refer to a particular initiative specifically because it has been adopted universally and has become part of doing ordinary business. The question is, have we reached that tipping point where the majority of businesses not only recognise the need for sustainability but are now actively pursuing it?

Thatcher’s green legacy: an Iron Lady tinged with verdigris

Margaret Thatcher undoubtedly helped put environmental issues on the agenda, but her flirtation with environmentalism is more likely the product of the growing green movement in the 1980s than any personal conviction and her obsession with free markets and libertarianism undermined all efforts at global environmental protection.

Energy and water: our utility companies are failing us but we can take action

We are facing a water crisis and our energy security is being compromised. Meanwhile, our utility companies are hiking up their prices. So what can we do about it?

Crowdfunding and renewables: is power for the people by the people about to come of age?

16 years ago upon a Cumbrian hilltop, it was proved for the first time in the UK that ‘crowdfunding’ could harness renewable energy. Today, crowdfunding in general is forcing its way into the mainstream. So, will 2013 be hailed as the year when decentralised finance for decentralised energy came of age?

Doorstep selling and the cowboys in danger of given the renewable energy sector a bad name

A minority of companies that do not stick to the strict consumer guidelines on doorstep selling are in danger of giving the renewable energy business a bad name. To combat the problem, domestic green energy expert YouGen and a group of independent installer companies, are calling for a ban of ‘deal on the day’ for all domestic renewable energy products.

Will it be rational markets or irrational planning that will shape our energy future?

While we may want to trust in the rationality of markets, current evidence suggests it will be the irrationality of local politics and planning that will ultimately shape our energy infrastructure.

Mandatory carbon reporting: what you need to know

Following months of delay, the Government is to introduce mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) for Britain’s biggest firms by next year. So what will it mean? We answer some frequently asked questions.

RHI and FiTs: the unintended consequences of penalising green energy ‘early adopters’

The Renewable Heat Incentive and the Feed-in Tariff are Government mechanisms that are meant to incentivise people to generate green energy, but poor regulation means renewable power is going to waste and functioning renewable technologies are being scrapped in order to qualify for subsidies.

What’s the best approach to unlock value and drive sustainability?

A question we are asked often by clients is: ‘What’s the right approach to identify opportunities and drive sustainability performance?’

Profitable sustainability: show me the money

Over the last 16 years, I have found that a good sustainability approach can increase company profits, with lower risks and a higher return than most other company investments.