Change may be the only constant – but is everything that needs to, changing?

Behavioural change is urgently needed to drive environmental best practise and energy savings / delivery of change management programmes.

Two years ago, examining cultural changes and the return of the green agenda in business, Pelican Communications highlighted a report which indicated that the majority of UK senior executives believed that ‘going green’ was back on their company’s agenda following years of austerity.

The survey also indicated a further shift in business culture with more than two-thirds of executives citing the importance of investing in green technologies to improve business efficiencies and reduce costs as well as for environmental reasons.

But in a recent policy and legislation report, Brendan Coyne, contributing editor at The Energyst has noted that basic energy management is absent in even the largest firms. Examining the impact of the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (Esos), Coyne noted that the scheme was largely perceived as a cost to business with little in the way of benefit to be gained.

Simultaneously, Energy Institute chief executive, Louise Kingham has spoken out on the need for cultural change at every level within organisations, to realise the potential of energy savings.

With the vast majority of organisations required to undertake an Esos energy audit now having done so, the onus is squarely on them, to implement the recommendations. As Coyne states, for those that do not, the cost vs benefit viewpoint becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

It is a worrying situation, particularly in the wake of Brexit and the uncertainty it brings not to mention the potential for widespread erosion of environmental policy more generally.

Yet the fundamental issue remains. How ironic then, that the more pressing the environmental crisis becomes, the less seems to be said. With no apparent commonality between environmental and economic policy, it is a problem the public and politicians alike continue to distance themselves from. Arguably, we have never been less open to cultural change than today.

But while we bury our heads in the sand, struggling with temperatures topping 340C in northern England recently, US agencies Nasa and Noaa are confirming last month was 0.9C hotter than the 20th century average and the hottest June since records began in 1880. Meanwhile ice in the Arctic Ocean has already shrunk to below-average summer levels and the string of record-breaking global temperatures marches on.

So what has happened to the correlation between ‘going green’ and cutting costs, championed by 89% of survey respondents in 2014, all of whom agreed that a variety of solutions, such as document management software, could reduce companies’ negative impact on the environment and improve business efficiencies?

Louise Kingham is absolutely right. Cultural change is needed most urgently at every level in business today – both to ensure the UK energy system can meet future demand and global emissions targets, but also to protect the ecosystems on which our survival depends.

With more than 20 years’ experience delivering training, people development and culture change programmes, Pelican Communications can help organisations of all sizes implement bespoke programmes designed to help businesses in all sectors achieve long term goals. We might not be able to save the planet singlehandedly, but we can certainly help you to make a difference.

Pelican Communications are specialists in the environment, food and drink, outdoor and leisure and packaging sectors and offer a range of services such as media relations, brand management and event management. Contact us for marketing and communications expertise.