Swedish Power Brand Shares Sustainability Secrets
Global success story, IKEA, will take to the stage at the annual Beacon South West conference in September to provide a rare insight into its sustainable business practices, including its goal to have 100 per cent of the energy it consumes coming from renewable sources.
IKEA, which had a turnover of €17.8bn in 2006 and runs 256 stores in 35 countries, strives to manage its impact on society and the environment by using natural resources wisely, investing in the world's forests and ensuring its suppliers follow ethical guidelines, such as creating good working conditions for staff and no child labour.
Taking place on Thursday, 13 September, the conference, 'Sustainability - Profit with a Conscience', is organised by Beacon South West, a key business initiative of the South West of England Regional Development Agency (RDA). The event, which is co-hosted by University of Gloucestershire at Park Campus in Cheltenham, will bring together directors from the most innovative and forward-thinking businesses in the region to consider the challenges and opportunities surrounding the sustainability agenda.
Sue Baker, project director for Beacon South West, explains the rationale behind the conference: "We felt compelled to address this issue as so much confusion exists around what sustainability is and whether it is commercially viable. We hope that during the day, business leaders will see that sustainability and company rewards can go hand-in-hand.
"Embracing sustainable practices may not deliver immediate results, but in the long-term there are tangible and intangible benefits, such as increasing competitive edge, market share and boosting shareholder value. What's more, with consumers becoming ever more ethically aware, companies need to act responsibly if they are to retain market share and build brand loyalty."
The interiors giant IKEA will be joined on the podium by other pioneers in the field, including Beacon companies - Sharps Brewery and Venus Company, and also the Commercial Group and Y-Waste.
During the day, delegates will be helped to establish the business case for sustainability and develop individual company strategies. In the afternoon, interactive workshops are to be held on a variety of issues, such as travel, minimising waste, resource efficiency, buying renewables, producer responsibility and ISO 14001. The workshops will be led by University of Gloucestershire; Envirowise and Business in the Community (BITC).
Jonet Waldock, head of environment at the South West RDA, said: "We are committed to helping the region's businesses become more sustainable and are delighted that this conference will help companies appreciate that becoming more environmentally sustainable and making bottom-line savings are not incompatible.
Ms Waldock, added: "Businesses need to know what help is out there to 'go green' - for instance we've recently invested £800,000 in an expansion of the EnVision programme, which helps companies become more energy, waste and water efficient. It has already helped more than 600 firms identify in excess of £2 million of savings and make numerous environmental improvements. This programme has now been expanded to cover the whole region."
Charlie Browne, UK Environment Manager for IKEA, concludes: "We have a vision for our business that was written more than 30 years ago. It's about creating a better everyday life for the many people. Today, it's obvious that to care for the people, you have to care about the environment, and so that is a core driver for us."
