We want a greener future, but let’s be honest about how tough a challenge it is
It’s being called the last chance for climate change to be brought under control. Shortly, the global climate summit COP26 kicks off in Glasgow. World leaders will have the opportunity to commit to action on climate change before a deadline to cut emissions by 2030.
With so much at stake, how can businesses play their part? Buying carbon tokens, using recycled paper, buying electric vehicles – those are welcome acts, but are they adequate? Sometimes, putting things right feels like we’re trying to empty the water out of a full bath, with bath taps running, using just an egg cup.
It is a tricky line for companies to navigate. It seems to point to a fundamental change in how we should do business – which costs money. Huge sums of money. But massive investment comes with a price, which must be paid for through either increased revenues or borrowings or both. Borrowings increase costs and that increases prices. At the risk of sounding over simplistic, it’s easier for a business to stick to smaller actions to prove their green credentials, while keeping costs manageable. If a business spends so much, they go bust, that contributes to unemployment growth which reduces tax pounds to the exchequer, while in turn reduces investment in ESG initiatives at a national level.
At Away Resorts, we know we don’t have all the answers. But we partner with charities and organisations like Surfers Against Sewage and Tomorrow’s Forest, so that we can learn and be part of the process. Many of our holiday parks are close to beautiful beaches, beaches we want to protect. We’ve been looking at ways to help holidaymakers enjoy their stay while also playing their part in caring for our coastlines – from beach cleans, to campaigns, we want as many people as possible to join in, so our coastlines are safe for everyone to enjoy. For every holiday home that we sell, we work with Tomorrow’s Forest to plant a tree.
We don’t just want plastic-free beaches, but less plastic on our holiday parks. So, from 1st January 2022 we will no longer sell single use plastics at our bars. This will remove 120,000 pieces of plastic from our parks. By the end of 2023 we plan to no longer accept supplies packaged in single use plastic, a very tall order for us but important nonetheless. We’ve tried to look at other ways we can reduce waste. Across our estate the lemons, limes and oranges served in our bars are all dehydrated using our own equipment. It means they can be stored for much longer and won’t go to waste at the end of a shift. We’ve identified a new uniform supplier who produces T-shirts that are 100% bamboo from sustainable sources. They are produced as efficiently as possible, but any carbon produced is offset in a verifiable way. The T-shirts can then be recycled and to date, they have reused 100,00 T-shirts – we are in early stage discussions, but the opportunity is so exciting.
At our Mill Rythe holiday park in Hampshire, we’re excited to have introduced all electric caravans to our hire fleet. They produce half of the carbon compared to accommodation using gas boilers and cookers. Watch this space for more like this! Where we have gas units, we’re migrating to biogas. It’s produced in a carbon neutral way, so whilst not reducing our output, at source it is better for the environment. Across our parks we have more than 75 electric vehicle charge points, and we are adding more each year.
We recognise we’re not perfect right now. But we’re on a journey, working towards a greener future and we’re committed to protecting our planet. For us it’s not just about pledges, but actions. COP26 should inspire us to fundamentally rethink how we exist and be honest about the scale of the problem so that we can truly grasp the nettle – egg cups won’t do.