The Environment Minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach has today (25 July) proposed new guidance for UK businesses to report sustainability credentials.
The Environmental Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) guidance, announced by the Environment Minister, comes a month after the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, revealed that all major UK businesses will need to report their sustainability performance from 2013. The new environmental KPIs will replace the previous guidance published in 2006.
It is hoped that the guidelines, which will be produced in consultation with Defra, will make it easier for business to report their performance to the public and investors in a ‘clear and concise’ way, and help identify possible environmental and financial savings.
Lord Taylor commented: “British firms are world leaders in understanding that improving the sustainability and resilience of their whole business is not only good for the environment but good for the bottom line too. This new guidance is another step towards our aim of corporate sustainability reporting becoming normal business practice by making it as simple as possible for companies to show their environmental impact.”
The proposed guidelines are expected to include detailed advice how businesses can measure and report their performance in five areas: air quality and emissions; water; waste; biodiversity and ecosystem services; and natural materials.
A consultation for the KPI guidance was launched on 25 July and will close on 17 October 2012.
The consultation on new guidance for corporate sustainability reporting and further details on greenhouse gas emission can be found on Defra’s website.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.