Being eco-friendly can be good for business

Public demanding environmentally sensitive approach to business

There are many incentives for organisations to operate sustainably, not least knowing the planet is being protected for future generations.

Businesses today are more conscious than ever of the long-term benefits of eco-friendly decision-making, despite the fact that government incentives are on the wane.

Corporate ethics will affect purchasing behaviour, and it doesn’t take long in today’s digital world for word to get around.

But environmental responsibility should not be at odds with bottom line profits.

The UK Government encourages businesses to go green with various taxes and schemes depending on the size of the organisation or if a business buys low or zero-carbon technology.

It is also possible to claim enhanced capital allowances for some eco-friendly investments such as plant and machinery.

This could also include cars with low CO2 emissions and new zero-emission goods vehicles as well as some energysaving and water-saving equipment such as meters and efficient toilets and taps.

In the property industry some social landlords have been leading the way in terms of energy efficient housing, such as Kingdom Housing and their award winning developments which include innovative features, pioneering the use of new modern methods of construction and renewables.

Castle Rock Housing Edinvar Association tenants are among the first in the UK to benefit from lower fuel costs thanks to revolutionary new technology from East Lothian firm, Sunamp.

This is a technology trial backed by a £3.2 million grant from the Local Energy Challenge Fund, running in tandem with a Solar PV programme, which is now under way in 650 properties in central Scotland.

Sunamp Heat Batteries efficiently store heat energy using ‘free’ electricity from Solar PV, and release the heat when needed to provide hot water without the need for an immersion heater or hot water tank.

These non-toxic heat batteries use a novel phase-change material developed with the University of Edinburgh to store four times more heat than hot water tanks of the same size.

The Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH), introduced by the Scottish Government in March 2014, aims to encourage landlords to improve energy efficiency of social housing in Scotland.

The EESSH will contribute towards the carbon emissions reduction targets set by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

It is hoped, of course, that private housebuilders will follow suit, although the same grant funding is not available to meet the increased costs of meeting these sustainability standards.

What is clear is that public awareness of the benefits of being environmentally friendly is growing, and organisations that aren’t prepared to keep up with their customers’ expectations are preparing to fail.

Businesses are more conscious than ever of the long-term benefits of eco-friendly decisionmaking. STUART INGLIS

Kingdom Housing Association’s Durham Wynd site at Lower Largo, Fife. The social housing group has pioneered the use of modern construction methods in its developments.