Green thinking is here to stay
Over the past few years, thinking ‘green’ has become an intrinsic part of almost every company’s strategic planning.
Government targets to reduce greenhouse gases are ambitious. In order to make businesses and individuals take notice of how much energy they use, the Government has introduced several schemes that can be of value to all sizes of business.
The Carbon Trust has seen an increase in the demand from SMEs for interest free loans. These loans, which must be used to help the business buy energy-saving technology, have saved businesses an average £14,000 on annual energy bills, according to The Carbon Trust’s figures. The Trust is about to launch a new initiative called “the Big Business Refit” which offers businesses expert advice and finance that will help them replace inefficient plant and equipment with the latest energy saving technologies.
The Revenue offers employers an incentive if they help their employees get to and from work by free or subsidised work buses, subsidised public bus services, cycles that they make available, or workplace parking for cycles and motorcycles. Normally benefits such as petrol allowances or season ticket payments are subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, but no tax or NICs are payable on the list above.
Local councils encourage resource efficiency through recycling and have schemes for businesses. Companies that use landfill facilities will already be paying a landfill tax at £40 per tonne but this will increase by £8 a year until 2013, so it makes sound financial sense to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill where possible. There are strict regulations covering what can and cannot be sent to landfill and the responsibilities business owners and managers have in relation to disposal of packaging and hazardous waste. More details can be found at www.netregs.gov.uk including a list of the permits required, what must be recycled by law, how to store waste and, importantly, how to reduce the amount of waste your business produces.
Targets for the reduction in energy usage can only become more stringent in the future. Rather than viewing these as an unnecessary administration burden, businesses should look at the opportunities they offer to cut costs. At Baker Chapman & Bussey we are always happy to help clients look at their environmental policy and what can be done to positively impact their profit margin.