An article for World Environment Day on 5 June
This is based on one first I published on LinkedIn on 31 March 2019
We want to run our business responsibly, focusing on the positive impact we can have, such as putting people in control of their taxes and finances, freeing them to enjoy their lives, business and families. We’re encouraged in this by investors. And we’re not alone.
Our environmental impact is part of this. Yes, we take flights. Yes we use resources. But we try to do that consciously and responsibly.
Which leads to a simple question. Who is responsible for the environmental impact of a shared office space? The brand that’s above the front door alongside the neon sign proclaiming great work happens here? Their community manager who runs the building? Tenants? The cleaner?
I’ve spent time in WeWork, The Office Group (TOG), Fora, Spaces, Regus, OneEleven, Mindspace. And as I’m often there late as the cleaners come in, I watch as sackloads of potential recycling go to landfill every night … and wonder what the global impact will be.
They are a visible and forceful reminder of the daily waste we generate. For each sack shouldn’t we should be ashamed?
One of the biggest groups in the UK has an environmental policy last updated a decade ago, marooned on an old version of their website. And after being contacted a couple of times, they said every building is responsible for their environmental action, but couldn’t find anyone responsible for the policy or how this is communicated. As for the building itself, even a token recycling attempt was doomed to fail as nobody labelled the bins or told the cleaner.
Senior leadership is essential.
But it doesn’t end there. It’s also about us as tenants if facilities are available. And many just forget to read or to care. I’ve seen tea bags and leftover pasta salad in the recycling, with glass, cans and coffee pods (oh so many coffee pods) in the compost.
So look at those sacks. Everyone is responsible, but not enough people are taking that responsibility.
Shouldn’t we all do more?
Post script: Credit to Joel Clark for picking this up and including the theme in the “Raconteur” supplement in the Times https://www.raconteur.net/business-innovation/eco-friendly-office
