2020 to 2030 will be the most important 10 years for our planet. What we do in this time will determine the course of humanity. If every person, association, organisation, and Government takes decisive action now, we can all contribute to a flourishing society, a healthy environment, and a prosperous economy.
Sustainability is no longer a “nice to have”, it’s a business imperative and a critical global issue. Everyone wants to see action and people are becoming more engaged than ever in the process. It is our children and future generations that are going to suffer if we don’t all step up to the mark and start addressing these social and environmental concerns today.
Looking after the planet can realise many business benefits like better brand positioning, attracting great talent, cost savings, customer loyalty, and gaining a competitive advantage. Future-proofing our businesses, in particular, is something that should be at the top of every to-do list, which can only have a positive impact on the world.
LOFA has teamed up with Planet Mark, a company that cares about the planet and wants to help businesses action and power change. Their certification recognises continuous improvement, encourages action, and helps build an empowered community of like-minded individuals to make a whole world of difference.
LOFA first became aware of Planet Mark in 2020 at the GCA conference, where Sir Tim Smit KBE the founder of the Eden Project, gave a fantastic presentation on sustainability and what businesses could do to reduce their carbon footprints.
Some of our members have already started down this road (Alexander Rose, Lifestyle Garden @Scancom, Leisuregrow, Zest4leisure, Que Fresco, Kadai, and Ginique to name but a few) and are well on their way to reducing the effect their businesses are having on the planet.
Planet Mark supports the Eden Project and also Cool Earth, a non-profit organisation that works alongside rainforest communities to halt deforestation by putting local people back in control of their forests. Every business that joins Planet Mark protects an acre of rainforest for every year of membership, so far Planet Mark has protected hundreds of acres of rainforest in Peru, and LOFA’s involvement will protect hundreds more.
By measuring and reducing our carbon footprint with Planet Mark we can directly and measurable contribution to up to 9 Sustainable Development Goals and address 25 SDG targets.
To help kick off this initiative, LOFA in conjunction with Planet Mark will be holding a Business Sustainability Essentials workshop. This workshop will outline how LOFA members can choose their organisation’s focus areas for carbon reduction and social value creation and take incremental steps forward to come up with plans to reduce carbon emissions.
