Dear Readers,
I always open our weekly sustainability events with a reminder of why such knowledge sharing is important. I start by citing the 2018 IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C and the need for "rapid and far-reaching transitions" before going on to quote Mark Carney, former Governor of the Bank of England who stated that "companies that don't adapt will go bankrupt..." But one of our speakers really brought it home to me last week when he re-cited my Mark Carney quote but then added that "it would be better off for the planet if they did go bust!" It wasn't so long ago that making such remarks publicly just wouldn't have happened and it really shows how far we have come as a business community that we are able to express ourselves about the climate emergency so openly.
I am delighted to say that this month saw over 200 people engage with our weekly events programme, with a range of topics including Air Quality, B-Corp accreditation, Retrofitting, and how to reduce a company's Scope 3 emissions; again demonstrating the business community's willingness to look beyond profit to a truly sustainable planet for future generations. And then I had the pleasure of talking to said future generation when The Centre for Sustainable Energy asked me to join a Zoom career chat with their Bright Green Future, youth environmental leadership programme attendees.
I am seeing this desire to future-think not only at our events, but in our new member bespoke Welcome Meetings too. This month, I have welcomed 6 new organisations to the Network and all are keen to put environmental sustainability on a level pegging with the financial sustainability of the business. Meanwhile, internally The Future Economy Network and Future Leap teams continue to work on the sustainability credentials within our operations, ensuring that we are "walking the talk" and thinking about our impact too! As many of you know, we have committed to carbon neutrality by the end of this year and we are ensuring to share this journey with our Network.
I want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who engages with the Network to make it the thriving hub of activity that it is....speaking of hubs...we are so excited to announce that the Future Leap sustainable business hub will be re-opening its doors on July 1st! All the necessary H&S precautions have been put in place to ensure compliance with COVID-19 guidelines so please do drop in and say hi to the team. Whether you would like to browse our retail area, grab a sustainably-sourced snack at our cafe, or take a peek at our co-working space, one of the team will be there to welcome you.
Wishing you all the very best,
Katherine Piper
Director of The Future Economy Network