The One Planet Standard reaches parts that other standards do not reach.

I don’t know any business leaders of any description who are not massively concerned with the issues of climate change, who don’t know that they have to act – and they can act – and that we need good governance and good standards that are trustworthy so that we can be sure that we are held to account to do what we say we are going to do and to follow through.

We have a huge, monumental adaptive challenge. There isn’t a rulebook for this and if there is to be a Standard – which there must be – to guide us along the way and to hold our hand, it has to be holistic and adaptive. We have an adaptive challenge and (the Standard gives us) an adaptive rulebook. No more greenwash – we have to own up.

Speaking at COP26  11th November 2021

Wouldn’t you sleep better, feel better, do better, if you were able to trust that your actions, really made a difference.  I know, I would.  This is why we introduced the One Planet Standard today.

Speaking at COP26 11th November 2021

We do have a good track record, but it is critically important to have that independent analysis.  Not to mark our own homework, as it were.  This is the reason why we have signed up for the One Planet Standard and why it is so important to us.  It is really important that the Standard measures ecological and climate actions, unlike many other standards that tend to be more carbon focused.

Its commitments link to the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act…all our policies and strategies are integral and intrinsically linked to the Future Generations Act with every decision that we take, and we know that this is very important and aligned to the One Standard approach.

There is also the benefit of shared learning.  If we have one organisation independently reviewing and analysing what we are doing, there’s definitely a benefit of the shared learning and good practice that is happening in other local authorities and other organisations and we can constantly benefit from that.

I am delighted to be here today in support of the One Planet Standard.  This will help with our actions and outcomes.  It’s absolutely the right thing for us to do.  Yes, we have a good track record but there is so much more work to do in terms of engaging with the public and making sure we bring them on the journey with us because we can’t as a Council do this in isolation and achieve those goals on our own.  We have to do it together.

Speaking at COP26 11th November 2021

There’s lots of detail and we all need to be doing better with this stuff, even those of us like us who feel we’re doing fairly well can’t be complacent.

There are overlaps with BCorp, which asks questions on these matters, but this goes into more detail and does more hand holding.  BCorp gives examples/templates, but not to the same degree of detail.

The standard offers a fresh way of thinking without greenwashing.

The concept of the One Planet Standard is excellent and really challenges conventional accreditations such as ISO 14001, however, there is a greater emphasis on ecology, biodiversity and sustainability. In light of recent events reported in the media, I truly believe that this is a fresh and innovative way of thinking and how businesses and organisations need to adapt. The Standard is clearly broken down into easily digestible sections.

The length of the standard is more than sufficient, based on other standards I have come across and clearly explains how the standard can be met.  Good emphasis is placed on the involvement of everyone within an organisation in helping to achieve the aims of the standard, which is key for its success within an organisation. The key selling point is the action of producing a roadmap that we can follow, which would help get people involved and get their buy-in. 

Many of the topics of the standard complement much of what is being reported in the media regarding our planet and what we have to do to protect nature and ensure we have a planet suitable and habitable for future generations. We often hear from politicians that after the pandemic, we won’t go back to business as usual, therefore I hope in particular WAG, support and promote the implementation of the standard, as I believe it focuses on many of the comments they are making regarding a green-recovery and focus on reducing carbon-footprint and zero-carbon economy.

The key selling point, for me, is the action of producing a roadmap that we can follow.  This is not something I have seen anywhere else and gives me the peace of mind that we will have clear, actionable goals to achieve on a set timeline.  As I’m sure you can imagine, without this timeline, it’s quite easy for other projects to take priority. 

I think it’s a fantastic idea.  It can feel overwhelming when you open the can of worms that is ‘reducing your eco footprint’ but The Standard offers a timeline and a set of goals to help organisations make real progress.