Gifts Today – October

Climate change – so what? I’m trying to run a business, not change the world.

It’s a good question, and in case you think I’m one of these people who campaigns and goes on demonstrations all the time, I’m not! With two new shops, and all the ordering for Christmas, I’m pretty busy. Sometimes people who don’t understand business seem to think you have endless time to discuss their pet concerns.

So does climate change matter? And how should we respond as businesses?

I believe climate change is the key issue of this century. The whole of our society is going to change, and if we respond now, we can avoid the doom-and-gloom scenarios which some scientists predict. Are we thinking of our businesses in terms of short term profit, or of long-term, sustainable sources of income?

It all comes down to reducing our carbon emissions and transforming our economy to low carbon energy production and infrastructure. The latter will require investment – but on the former, we all have a part to play, both in our own lives and at work. Often people feel powerless in the face of such an enormous global problem, but we CAN make a difference. I am a great fan of the new 10:10 campaign (www.1010uk.org), which aims to get all of us to reduce our carbon emissions by 10% in the year 2010. Launched in September, 1,000 businesses, 20,000 individuals and a variety of celebrities have already signed up, as has the whole of the Cabinet, Shadow Cabinet and other political leaders. The basis of the campaign is that we should not just leave it to politicians and that we CAN effect change ourselves.

I was fortunate and caught on to a trend in the early days. Fair trade has grown from a niche market, selling coffee which “only vicars would be mad enough to buy”, to a multi-million business. My own small shop in a side street in York has grown to a chain of ten shops around the country. And the next major trend? Protecting our environment doesn’t just apply to the “beard and sandals brigade” – it’s becoming a major trend that will affect us all.

Many successful businesses have started up recently either wholesaling or retailing “eco” products. Many others are improving their sales with “eco” ranges. I believe the transfer to a low carbon economy will start a revolution akin to the growth of information technology in the last 30 years. In Gordon Brown’s words, “the economies that embrace the green revolution earliest will reap the greatest rewards.”

This is also an issue about what customers will want, long-term. As a retailer, are you reacting to trends? I’ve seen countless retailers fail because they keep selling the same old things. Others succeed because they constantly try out new ranges, even completely different types of product. Garden centres and local farm shops are good examples.

Acting to reduce climate change through your business is a win-win policy! By reducing energy consumption, you will save costs. You could well get publicity in your local paper, or be interviewed on tv or radio. Your customers will respond positively because they will see you acting responsibly; you’re not just out to make money. Your staff will be positive too, and show greater commitment to you; their enthusiasm and therefore their customer care could improve immensely. Sign up to the 10:10 campaign and ask them if they’d like to sign up too! At shared Earth we’ve had an amazing response (and most of our staff are not enthusiasts like me). People come in early and leave late because they see what they’re doing as worthwhile.

It may not be conventional business thinking, but I believe acting responsibly will also make you a happier person. In turn this will give you more energy. As we all know, this is very important when you work in retail!

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