Foreword
I am pleased to introduce the fifth Annual Report of the South East Sustainable Business Campaign. Our region is served by many different organisations encouraging and enabling businesses to operate more sustainably. They are co-ordinated by seven sub-regional sustainable business partnerships. Through their collective efforts, and since the inception of the SEEDA Sustainable Business Awards for the South East, a wide range of businesses have visibly demonstrated imaginative ways to embrace sustainable business practices and behaviour.
The Government is encouraging organisations to be more receptive to their economic, social and environmental impacts, and to embrace sustainability in order to gain a competitive advantage. The ethical market is worth around £13 billion to the UK economy and there is overwhelming evidence that sustainable business as a whole makes good commercial sense.
The results have been truly impressive - new business opportunities and markets have been identified and secured; leading to the creation of new jobs. There has been greater involvement with local stakeholders, increased awareness of resource and energy efficiencies, reduced waste mountains and measurable commercial benefits for businesses.
If you are already involved with your local Sustainable Business Partnership (SBP), I hope you will be interested to see what has been happening elsewhere in the region. If, on the other hand this report prompts you to wonder how your business might benefit from becoming more sustainable, I would urge you to take the plunge - while it may only cost you a phone call or email to your local Business Link, the results will be real and long lasting for your business.
James E Brathwaite, CBE
Chairman, South East England Development Agency