Durrell News

Sustainability Seminar told - One world, love it or lose it

25^th June 2009

Total organisational commitment is needed in order to produce the maximum impact and effect on environmental matters, that’s according to one of the key speakers at the Sustainability Seminar held at Durrell recently.

Jim Hopley, the CEO of the Channel Islands Co-operative Society gave an overview of the group’s historical and ongoing initiatives to reduce energy wastage and described how they had worked to get buy-in across the whole organisation and what impact that had had. He commented, “After introducing our 5p surcharge for plastic bags, we have cut consumption in Jersey from 14 million bags to approximately 500,000 in a year, which is something everyone should be pleased about. This year, one of our targets is to reduce electricity costs by 30%.”

With the WWF predicting that another Earth would be required to sustain the current global population if everyone consumed at the rate of the developed world, the need for both individual and business action is critical. The annual seminar, sponsored by RBC Wealth Management for the second year running, urged organisations to view the building of sustainable business models as a new and exciting opportunity to look again at the way they operate.

Keynote speaker, Prof Ian Christie, from the Centre for Environmental Strategy, Surrey University, spoke about the immense financial value of services that nature provides free of charge to the world and how our actions are destroying these services. The cost of the loss of pollination services alone, as bees die out, is unquantifiable. “We are unaware which is the cornerstone species in our world - the one on which the whole ecosystem depends. Therefore we should be focusing on saving every single species. If we act right now we can all become heroes for our future generation.” He went on to describe how Jersey has many assets which make for a strong foundation to any sustainability programme, “Jersey’s aware and proactive government, its strong financial presence and richness in natural resources and wildlife, should make sustainability initiatives easier. It’s a big chance to be part of the solution, not of the problem.”

Commenting on Durrell specifically Prof Christie said, “I have been visiting Durrell for many, many years and it truly is a world class institution that continues to develop. Durrell's latest initiative is extremely commendable.”

Panel members, including Durrell’s CEO Paul Masterton, called for businesses to embrace sustainability, implementing measures that will benefit both the environment and the bottom line. Powering down computers at night, switching to low energy consumption technologies, sharing cars for commuting and home working were all highlighted as ways businesses can reduce their carbon footprint and their operating costs.

Francis Binney, RBC Wealth Management’s Environmental Officer in the British Isles and Kirsten Morel from Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, detailed their sustainability initiatives. RBC Wealth Management has initiated an integrated sustainability programme, touching all corners of the organisation from procurement to facilities management to employee volunteering schemes. Durrell and ECO-ACTIVE have launched a Carbon Offsetting scheme and a comprehensive energy efficiency drive is underway at the Trust’s Jersey headquarters.

“RBC Wealth Management recognises the important role played by businesses in achieving local and international sustainability targets,” Mr Binney said. “The seminar offered a great opportunity for businesses in Jersey to come together and discuss the ways in which they can have a positive impact for the Island.”

Attendee quotes

Eamon Fenlon, MD, Jersey Dairy thought the content was really useful, “We have a great opportunity to ensure that our new dairy being built in Trinity, is energy efficient and most of all sustainable.”

Mick Thurston, AFM commenting on the seminar, “It has completely exceeded my expectations. Some of the presentations really were a revelation to me. As an islander, I now realise the need to go beyond thinking to taking action, and help to educate our clients so they too can do something viable.”

“I came last year and it was very informative, but this year the seminar provided even more information and examples,” commented Mark Burtin, MD Cameron. “We already embrace energy efficiency measures and in the construction industry it is key. We’d like to ensure that other companies are just as aware of steps they can take to reduce their carbon footprints.”

Please click here to download the speakers' presentations. For further details, please contact Kirsten Morel on +44 (0)1534 860038 or email: kirsten.morel@durrell.org.
 

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