Colin Stanbridge, Chief Executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), talks about why moving the clocks forward will be good for the environment but also good for business.
Many businesses in London are still struggling from the economic downturn, and therefore constantly looking for any opportunity that will improve their competitiveness. The Lighter Later campaign to move the clocks forward one hour throughout the year perfectly represents one of those opportunities.
What would change? Instead of setting our clocks to GMT in winter and GMT+1 in summer, we would set them to GMT+1 in winter and GMT+2 in summer, or Single/Double Summer Time (SDST).
The environmental benefits of this change are compelling: it would cut 447,000 tonnes of CO2 pollution every year simply because more people are awake when there is daylight.
More importantly though for our members, what does this mean for businesses and the UK economy? In April 2010 LCCI surveyed 182 of its members on this issue. Of those who felt it would have an impact on their business, the number that thought it would have a positive impact far outweighed those who believed it would have a negative impact, by more than four to one in fact.
The benefits for business are numerous. Companies would be able to make savings on heating and lighting costs, while increased daylight hours would boost productivity and combat employee stress by giving them more leisure opportunities before it gets dark.
In addition, it would add an extra two or three hours of trading time (depending on whether you include lunch) with our biggest trade partner, the EU, and establish a wider trading window with the UK’s fastest growing trade partners in the Far East. Furthermore, it is estimated 60,000-80,000 new jobs would be created in the leisure and tourism industries as opening hours could be extended, providing a boost to the UK economy to the tune of £2.5-3.5 billion per year.
From a business perspective, then, the case for adopting SDST is a straight-forward one. A boost to the economy and to employment at a difficult time should be welcomed by all, while more efficient windows for trade, reduced utility costs and healthier, happier employees will benefit businesses of every size. For these reasons, LCCI is fully behind the Lighter Later campaign.
For more information on LCCI contact Iain Smith at ismith@londonchamber.co.uk
For more information on Lighter Later contact Amy Cameron on amy@lighterlater.org
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