Environmental Impact

The management of the environment is one of the most high profile areas of Corporate Responsibility, with many companies operating under the spotlight of intense media pressure. Businesses have to adapt to escalating waste disposal costs, cutting their consumption and seeking opportunities to recycle; they have to prepare for regional and global carbon trading and for requirements to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions. Likewise, there is pressure mounting for a similar disclosure of water usage and the possibility of water becoming the "new carbon".

In an age of global environmental responsibility, there is an increasingly important role for organisations to manage local environments, protect biodiversity, minimise noise, airborne emissions and light pollution and conserve local landscapes. The business community's response, for the most part, has been commendable, with the majority of businesses now actively managing these aspects. But it is doubtful that such responses will deliver reductions fast enough to meet global climate change targets, and so we should expect further pressure to do more.

For many reasons, businesses struggle to accurately measure and report on the environment. The scoping of impacts and calculation of environmental data is, by its very nature, problematic, this often makes year-on-year comparisons and the reporting of performance, imprecise. In many regions, there is a lack of national environmental infrastructure with shortages of green energy or recycling facilities. On top of this, environmental investment by businesses is something of a lottery, often based on a very uncertain long-term economic, fiscal and regulatory landscape.

For other businesses and sectors, the growth in the environmental economy presents unique and significant commercial opportunities; to adapt existing services and products to support the "green revolution" or to build green credentials into their brand.

At the Reassurance Network we have a great deal of experience and expertise in environmental strategy and assurance. We help businesses view environmental responsibility in a strategic way, so that they are addressing the correct issues in the most effective manner, creating opportunities for cost savings and business benefits where possible. We also work with our clients to improve the reliability of data management so that the right areas are being measured, and so that they can have confidence in their performance and trend data.

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