The Prince of Wales hosted the May Day Summit on May 1 and the event included stark statistics that more than half the nation’s businesses have not yet considered their contribution to climate change.
A survey of British businesses found that the majority are unaware that a new law (the Carbon Reduction Commitment) will soon compel them to account for their companies’ carbon emissions.
However Anglian Water is one of the leading voices in the climate change debate. Its Chief Executive Jonson Cox is a founder member of the Prince of Wales’ Corporate Leaders Group, a group of industry leaders which works closely with the Government on issues such as climate change.
Jonson Cox chaired a meeting at the May Day Summit and, earlier in the year, led discussions at Downing Street about the importance of being prepared for the reality of climate change.
He said Anglian Water is leading by example: “Across 2008/09, Anglian Water saved 18,000 tonnes of carbon, and we also insist that our contractors commit to reducing their carbon footprint.
“All this work is good news for our customers too: Over the last three years we have achieved a saving of £10 million through the energy initiative. This helps us to keep bills as low as possible and helps us deliver crucial cost savings during the recession.”
The Carbon Reduction Commitment survey was carried out by ‘Business in the Community’ which recently recognised Anglian Water as one of the UK’s most responsible companies, awarding it a top-tiered ‘Platinum Award’ in its Corporate Responsibility Index. The company achieved its best ever score of 97.5 per cent, having been judged on a wide range of criteria including commitment to the environment, energy conservation and waste management.