Help to Grow Alumni gain key sustainability insights at event

Three guest speakers from different business backgrounds spoke about how organisations can become more sustainable at the event, which took place at Platform in Leeds City Centre.  

SMEs make up 99% of the business population in the UK. Yet, the carbon agenda and embedding environmental principles for manufacturing or operations is not widely embedded within the market. 

Lack of reliable and consolidated knowledge is a major barrier for SMEs looking to explore how they can future proof their enterprises for future political, social and green agenda.

The speakers at the event explored this theme in more detail: 

• Lucy Allis, Local Authorities Climate Action Coordinator at York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, spoke about how businesses can be sustainable by developing local supply chains, adapting better waste management and getting involved in community services to create a new culture within their organisations. Savings in costs, increased productivity, boosting brand identity were some of the benefits businesses noted after engaging in sustainable practices. 
• Thabiso Dube, Leeds Beckett graduate and Deputy Company Secretary at the Harrogate Districts NHS Foundation Trust, talked about his SME research in this area. Thabiso discussed the importance of the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards and the long-term impact of these on enterprises, presenting a strong case study for relationship between increased profitability and environmental awareness. 
• Peter Dixon, Director at Dudleys Consulting Engineers, an alumnus of the programme, spoke about how the course inspired him to grow his business, open another site and implement new management practices within his organisation.

Find out more about the Help to Grow programme by visiting Leeds Beckett University’s website.