Resource efficiency key to growth, says CBI

17th January 2012


Newscbi

Related Topics

Related tags

  • Procurement ,
  • EMS ,
  • Management ,
  • Recycling ,
  • Natural resources

Author

IEMA

Policymakers and business leaders need to recognise that resource efficiency makes both business and environmental sense, and will be key to the UK's future economy, says a new report from the CBI.

Launching the report, Made to last – creating a resource efficient economy, at a joint CBI and Green Alliance conference on resource security, Neil Bentley, deputy director-general of the employers’ organisation, said: “There’s a business case for acting, and a threat to our growth prospects if we don’t.”

Bentley criticised the existing response of UK policymakers, saying that too many different government departments at too many different levels are coming up with their own ways of dealing with the problem of resource efficiency.

Speaking at the same event, business secretary Vince Cable called on industry to take the lead by closing the loop, so that resources are used again and again. Cable’s call was echoed by EU environment commissioner, Janez Potočnik, who said that design and finance will be key to creating a “circular” economy in Europe.

“If every company could afford to carry out a proper life-cycle costing of its operations and products, and consumers were properly informed, then waste could be prevented, products recycled and reused,” he said.

Potočnik reminded the audience that some resources have no price. “This is particularly true of our natural capital, our ecosystems and biodiversity,” he said.

“Some seem to find it fashionable to claim that protecting nature goes against growth, and that it is too expensive in an economic crisis. My response is this – tell that to people and businesses who have been ruined by floods because of planning decisions taken without assessing environmental impacts!”

Subscribe

Subscribe to IEMA's newsletters to receive timely articles, expert opinions, event announcements, and much more, directly in your inbox.


Transform articles

UK’s CCUS strategy based on outdated assumptions, government warned

The UK government’s carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) strategy is based on optimistic techno-economic assumptions that are now outdated, Carbon Tracker has warned.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s latest Public Attitudes Tracker has found broad support for efforts to tackle climate change, although there are significant concerns that bills will rise.

13th March 2024

Read more

A consortium including IEMA and the Good Homes Alliance have drafted a letter to UK government ministers expressing disappointment with the proposed Future Homes Standard.

26th February 2024

Read more

Global corporations such as Amazon and Google purchased a record 46 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind energy last year, according to BloombergNEF (BNEF).

13th February 2024

Read more

Three-quarters of UK adults are concerned about the impact that climate change will have on their bills, according to polling commissioned by Positive Money.

13th February 2024

Read more

The reality of delivering net zero is that we need solutions tailored to specific areas. Peter Gudde explores models that local authorities could adopt

15th January 2024

Read more

Heat pump installations in UK homes increased by nearly a fifth last year, with over 200,000 now having been installed across the country.

11th January 2024

Read more

Last year was the warmest ever recorded, surpassing the previous annual high set in 2016 by a large margin, scientists have confirmed today.

9th January 2024

Read more

Media enquires

Looking for an expert to speak at an event or comment on an item in the news?

Find an expert

IEMA Cookie Notice

Clicking the ‘Accept all’ button means you are accepting analytics and third-party cookies. Our website uses necessary cookies which are required in order to make our website work. In addition to these, we use analytics and third-party cookies to optimise site functionality and give you the best possible experience. To control which cookies are set, click ‘Settings’. To learn more about cookies, how we use them on our website and how to change your cookie settings please view our cookie policy.

Manage cookie settings

Our use of cookies

You can learn more detailed information in our cookie policy.

Some cookies are essential, but non-essential cookies help us to improve the experience on our site by providing insights into how the site is being used. To maintain privacy management, this relies on cookie identifiers. Resetting or deleting your browser cookies will reset these preferences.

Essential cookies

These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website.

Analytics cookies

These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors to our website and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works.

Advertising cookies

These cookies allow us to tailor advertising to you based on your interests. If you do not accept these cookies, you will still see adverts, but these will be more generic.

Save and close