LONDON, ENGLAND, October 21, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- That is the conclusion from the evidence of two years' of The Sunday Times Green List, the benchmark for businesses to put their green credentials to the test which is taking entries for the 2010 contest from today.
The contest not only measures efforts to cut the corporate carbon footprint, it also seeks employees'
views on how green they think their company to be.
Following the launch in The Sunday Times yesterday (18th Oct), the 2010 Awards are now open for registration at http://www.bestgreencompanies.co.uk
The top 60 green companies of 2009 ranged from blue chip multinationals such as BT and Tesco to construction companies with a high environmental impact, including Willmott Dixon, Carillion and Skanska — not forgetting small marketing businesses such as the current champion, Forster, with only 51 employees.
They may differ in size and environmental impact, but what they share is a genuine commitment to putting green issues high up the agenda and to the strategies and staff input to make them happen.
Our methodology allows companies to compete on a level playing field. Our top 20 this year featured eight companies with fewer than 250 employees, six mid-sized organisations and six with more than 5,000 staff. Eight had an environmental impact classified as low, six were medium and six high.
Will Ullstein, Director of Innovation at Munro Global, leading market research group and a partner in compiling the Green List, expects competition for a place on the 2010 list to be heated.
"Organisations are increasingly understanding and reaping the benefits of running green operations, media attention is propelling environmental issues up the agenda and the countdown to the Copenhagen climate change conference will only focus attention further," he said.
With the benefit of two years' data, companies can see the key trends that lead to success on the Green List. Genuine leadership from the top on all things green is vital, as is embedding the sustainability message across the workforce.
Sarah Davidson, technical director at Bureau Veritas, the environmental consultancy and partner in producing the Green List, pinpoints leadership as the place where the employer and staff surveys meet. "Leading by example in senior management is the key to linking the corporate programmes with the performance of the general workforce in the employee survey." She said.
Rick Willmott, chief executive of Willmott Dixon, the construction company that finished third in 2009, knows he has to lead from the front.
"You have to set the agenda, you have to nail your colours to the mast," he said.
Even though the building trade has by its nature a high environmental impact, Willmott thinks entrants should not be deterred.
"If we can make differences, they tend to be big differences. So that's the very positive upside for us — we only have to flex a few things very gradually and gently and we can make some significant inroads," he said.
There are five categories for organisations taking part in this unique two-part survey:
Big and mid-sized companies with a high environmental impact;
Big and mid-sized companies with a medium environmental impact;
Big and mid-sized companies with a low environmental impact;
Small companies with a high or medium environmental impact;
Small companies with a low environmental impact.
The Green List brings together the best businesses from all five categories to produce an overall winner. Green List companies last year employed between 50 and 185,000 staff and represented industries as diverse as retailing, media, leisure, construction, and oil and gas exploration.
Unlike any other environmental contest, The Sunday Times recognise that corporate policies count for little if they are not adopted by staff. So while the first part of this survey looks at green policies, the second part (accounting for 30% of the final score) lets staff say how they think their firm measures up.
Don't be put off if your company has a large carbon footprint or if its line of business means that energy consumption is unavoidably high. It is the commitment to change and evidence of a genuine desire to be more environmentally friendly that will earn a company a place on the 2010 Green List.
Richard Hepburn, CEO of leading market research group Munro is confident about the 2010 awards:
"Encouraged by 20% growth in the Green List last year we hope for similar expansion in 2010. The signs are good; organisations are increasingly understanding and reaping the benefits of running green operations."
He continues: "To entrant companies the awards means recognition, says well done, and spurs them on. To their competitors the message is clear; it says we are brave, have laid down a marker, come and catch us if you can."
Registration remains open until February 18th 2010.
For further information please visit http://www.bestgreencompanies.co.uk
About Munro Global
Munro Global was formed in June 2006 and is parent company to 5 UK based unique research agencies. It aims to become a recognised centre of excellence in the provision of research-focused marketing services solutions.
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