ways2work > What is it > The people behind it > Stephen Howard
Businesses ensure long-term sustainability by supporting people and planet
"In these uncertain and challenging economic times, it is more important than ever that companies ensure the long-term viability of their businesses by addressing the critical issues of climate change and protecting the health and wellbeing of their people.
We know that top UK business leaders agree with this view. According to our January 2010 Responsible Leadership poll, Business in the Community’s most senior members believe that factoring social and environmental issues into the commercial business model and supporting future business leaders to have a wider appreciation of business responsibility are the two most important things they can do as leaders right now.
The business benefits of managing and measuring corporate responsibility are now well documented – most recently in research by Ipsos MORI commissioned by Business in the Community and Legal and General (June 2010). Companies that reported their corporate responsibility performance in BITC’s Corporate Responsibility Index also reported higher Total Shareholder Return than their peers in the FTSE 350 and FTSE All-Share during 2002 – 2007 and in 2009 their share value appeared to be recovering more quickly from the recession.
The recession has provided a turning point in how companies approach corporate responsibility. Business leaders can work together to create a new era of responsibility and restore confidence in business. Responsible leadership is ensuring social and environmental issues are factored into the core business model, taking action on these key issues, empowering future leaders, and talking publicly about responsible business.
In July 2009 we were pleased to be appointed by the Department of Transport to host the National Business Travel Network (NBTN) within our Business in the Environment campaign. ways2work represents an important collaboration between NBTN, our Business Action for Working Well campaign and the ways2work Steering Group - formed of 14 BITC and NBTN member organisations - and it demonstrates the interconnectedness of issues managed by responsible businesses.
Providing practical guidance to reduce the carbon impact of businesses also supports the work of The Prince’s Mayday Network, which Business in the Community first convened in May 2007. This ever-expanding group of companies, which spans all business sectors and sizes, is working together to tackle climate change and resource depletion and engaging suppliers, employees and customers along the way.
We thank the members of the ways2work Steering Group for their leadership of this project and call on other companies to follow their example. Please use ways2work to establish sustainable working and travelling practices in your company for the benefit of your business, the planet, your people and those in the wider community."