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Transforming UK business to meet the '9 billion challenge'

Business in the Community set up The Prince's Mayday Network in 2007, calling upon UK companies to embark on the journey to a more sustainable future. The network now has over 3,800 members.

What started as a journey encouraging and supporting companies to measure and reduce environmental impacts, has begun to look at the transformational change required of companies to secure a truly sustainable future.

For the next stage of the journey we will work with other Business in the Community campaigns to compel UK business to transform itself to meet the UK contribution to the '9 billion challenge'.

Join the Prince's Mayday Network if you'd like to be a part of the journey

Sign up to our newsletter highlighting best practice to help you on your journey.

The UK government's sustainable development framework aims to deliver a 'strong, healthy and just society within global limits'.

Only about 3 billion of us enjoy a modern poverty free lifestyle today.

At current rates of consumption, if all 7 billion people currently on the planet were to have UK lifestyles, we would need 3 planet earths.

With the global population set to increase by nearly 30% over the next 40 years, the challenge is: How do we deliver the UK contribution to 9 billion poverty free sustainable lifestyles in 2050?

The '9 billion challenge' requires answers to fundamental questions around our relationship with nature, how our weather works, how business works and how we inspire citizens to make their contribution.

We need to shape companies, products and citizens' lifestyles to ensure we can deliver a sustainable future for our planet and its peoples.

Making your business more sustainable to address the UK contribution to the '9 billion challenge' makes good business sense.

It's not only about granting business a social licence to operate, it is about having the supply chains that are sufficiently robust to deliver the products that will help you and your customers enjoy sustainable lives.

The journey to 9 billion sustainable lifestyles requires new ways of thinking and working. Business in the Community has 30 years experience challenging, engaging and supporting UK businesses to act responsibly, so we are well placed to help you get there. The Prince's Mayday Network is just one part of Business in the Community's overall offering.

Over the next few months Business in the Community will be shaping our new Sustainability meta-programme, designed to help UK businesses and consumers meet various aspects of the 9 billion challenge, and we want your input.

We want to hear from as many UK businesses as possible in terms of how best we (using campaigns like Mayday) can support you to make your business more sustainable.

Please help us by filling in the following short Call for Input (by 1 September 2012)

If you would like further background, please see this Call for Input briefing note (pdf) for more information

Happening in The Mayday Network

A message from HRH Prince of Wales
to the Mayday Network

News

19 March 2013

Met Office: Measuring climate risk for business

Rob Varley from the Met Office talks about how long range weather forecasting can help business to prepare for climate risks:

All through last autumn and winter, didn’t it always seem to be raining or snowing? Heavy rain, snow, ice, extreme temperatures and high winds will all have an impact on most businesses at some time. That’s why it’s worth asking yourself some questions such as, “Is my business prepared for the worst the weather can throw at it?” and “If it is prepared today, what about the future?”

News

30 January 2013

Subsidised places available on Cambridge business sustainability progamme

Business in the Community (BITC) and the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership (CPSL) are offering a small number of subsidised places for BITC members to join The Prince of Wales’s Business and Sustainability Programme (BSP).

News

30 January 2013

How resilient is your business?

The last twelve months has seen some of the most volatile weather for a long time. From droughts early last year to 2012 ending up as the second wettest year on record with flooding across the UK, as well as recent cold temperatures and snow, we only seemed to miss out on a summer heatwave.

News

29 January 2013

Award winner one year on: Lakes Free Range Egg Company

In 2012, Lakes Free Range Egg Company, based in the North West were awarded the Responsible Supply Chain Management Award (now Sustainable Supply Chain Award) in BITC's Responsible Business Awards for their sustainable farming practices supporting the local economy and focus on animal welfare.

News

29 January 2013

Focus on: Marketplace Sustainability Leadership Award

BITC has three Marketplace Sustainability categories in its Responsible Business Awards 2013: Sustainable Supply Chain; Customer Engagement on Sustainability; and Marketplace Sustainability Leadership. The Marketplace Sustainability Leadership Award will recognise businesses that are transforming their product/service offer, supply chains and marketing by embedding short and long term environmental, social and economic trends into core business decision making.

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