Boosting high streets through sustainable action

Blog by Anne Snelson, Founder of Lead With Sustainability, People & Places Associate

This guest blog looks at ways of boosting high streets through sustainable action.  One of the key emerging business themes we see for 2023 is a focus on sustainability.

Much of this emerging focus comes on the back of Government activity, such as their commissioning of an independent Mission Zero report, published in early January 2023 and the mandate from April 2022 forcing the UK’s largest companies to complete annual climate-related sustainability reports.  Companies completing the sustainability reports have to show that they’ve considered the impacts of climate change on their operations (for example, increasing temperatures, droughts, storms, and floods), as well as the effect that changing technology and consumer sentiment may have for them on the back of net zero transition.

Opportunities or threats?

Some businesses are viewing this as a tick box exercise. Others are carrying out detailed analyses, identifying new and innovative ways they can lower carbon emissions, and in the process improving their efficiency and cost. Significant benefits can be gained, for instance, from cutting fuel usage, especially through heating and transport reductions.

This second group is astute. Making operations more sustainable not only saves costs, but also appeals to a wide, and growing, range of stakeholders – positively impacting everything from inward investment to customer loyalty, word of mouth promotion to sales.

Consumers support this change

According to Deloitte and Think with Google, adoption of sustainable lifestyles is increasing significantly. Searches on “carbon neutrality” have almost doubled in a year (+92%) and there have been similar increases in food waste (+89%), recycling and plastic usage (+60%).

What works for big companies works for towns and smaller businesses too

With “bricks and mortar” costs rising and visits to high streets still recovering post-covid, cutting costs and reducing waste makes sense for all towns and cities.

Simple things like switching off store heating half an hour before closing time won’t impact how you’re perceived but can significantly benefit your bottom line. This step alone cuts heating, costs, and related emissions by six per cent or more.

Leading the way

So, what can businesses and town centre organisations do? Here’s a few examples.

Reduce, recycle, reuse

One of the first steps to consider is the “circularity” of your operations, in terms of reducing, recycling, and reusing items.

Norwich BID, for instance, has introduced a local exchange market which helps local businesses reduce and benefit from unwanted products rather than sending them to landfill.

Croydon Council’s waste management scheme also collects and recycles a wide range of products – not just standard card, plastic, batteries, and glass, but high emitting, polluting and useful products too. These include coffee grounds, coffee cups, food, and oil, several of which can be used for climate friendly biofuel, reducing future carbon emissions even more.

Meat Free Mondays

High street chains, Burger King, M&S Food, McDonalds, Cook, and Pizza Express all support Meat Free Mondays – a scheme to reduce meat consumption.

With meat production up to 10x higher in emissions than vegan or vegetarian alternatives, Meat Free Mondays raise awareness, encourage consumer behaviour change, and appeal to environmentally conscious customers too.

Integrate existing town centre initiatives

Many activities being carried out to support town centre usage can also be adapted and incorporated into sustainability plans and communications. This includes Farmers Markets, Fair Trade and Active Travel initiatives. As the links show, many towns and cities are already boosting high streets through sustainable action.

Communicate what you’re doing and why

These examples show that positive actions are just the start. Further benefits come when you start to promote them.

In store, notices on doors can highlight that emissions are being saved. Point of sale can be used for Fairtrade products or sustainably sourced items.

At the Council, Town Centre, Chamber, Business or Community Improvement District level, the examples above show some of what can be achieved through winning awards and promoting activities through local media.

The world is changing

In 2020, consumer expenditure was responsible for 26 per cent of all Greenhouse Gas emissions – the largest contributor of any sector across the UK. The Government is facing stringent targets for lowering emissions, so the current large business focus is likely to expand.

Climate change, in terms of droughts, storms and flooding, is already impacting individuals and business operations across the nation and these impacts will accelerate over coming years. Fortunately, most of the efforts we make to cut emissions make towns, cities, and businesses more thriving and sustainable too.

So, the sooner we start cutting our carbon footprints, the better the lives of everyone will be.

For more information

For ideas on how your business can reduce its carbon footprint and promote sustainability, you can contact Anne Snelson by email hello@leadwithsustainability.co.uk