Strategy Meeting 31st July 2019

This event was kindly hosted by LDA-Design. Peterborough. UK

In June, the outgoing Prime Minister set out her Government’s challenge for the UK to lead the World as a net zero carbon economy. With this critical pledge, the opportunity for UKBCSD’s mission for a Sustainable Britain by 2050 takes a step closer to reality.
The announcement the UK was to be host for the Global Climate Summit in 2020, effectively raises the profile for UK businesses whilst putting in the spotlight, those who are leading the transformation towards a low carbon economy. This is a chance for UKBCSD members to be seen as part of the vanguard of transforming businesses whilst pledging their support to Government in meeting its stated Grand Challenges for productivity, innovation, skills and investment.

Convening the Strategy Day offered UKBCSD members the opportunity to voice their progress and achievements against these Grand Challenges and to contribute to developing a set of clear Priorities for them to engage others, and commit their own time & resources to reflecting:

• The priorities UKBCSD needs to focus to shape the policy for your sector.
• Showcasing the Ideas, Solutions, Opportunities and Prospects for delivering clean growth quickly.
• Identifying and Securing the key Influencers needed to engage decision-makers, across industry and within Government, to highlight the vital role of business as committed leaders of change.

For the organisation to maintain  contemporary relevance and it would like to see:

1. Members demonstrating tangible Outcomes and contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals
2. Develop a Value proposition leading from actions on the above which delivers for business and communities
3. Work with the Board and Advisors to access funding to enable us Translate (need & benefit) and Deliver (procurement demand for innovative solutions and products) in response to a highly aspirational policy

In developing Members' Priorities contributing towards a Sustainable Britain they addressed the need for the organisation to better align its response to critical issues relevant to current and foreseeable business climate.

1. Sustainable Growth: Uncertainty over settlement growth aspirations across urban and rural Britain and how what value they contribute to the sustainable development agenda?
2. Sustainable leadership: with Brexit pressures contributing to the public sector stepping away from the agenda, how should the membership engage the private sector to drive this?
3. Global sustainability agenda and increasing Stakeholder pressures: Climate declarations: What does the commitment to the Climate Emergency mean and what should organisations do next having declared one?

These are the High level Priorities towards which members will work with the Board to develop Action Plans and wider business engagement activity over future months from which we can demonstrate tangible contributions of our work towards the UK’s Grand Challenges during the year of the Global Climate Summit.