A business improvement consultancy specialising in corporate social responsibility has seen its workload increase as businesses reassess their environmental policies to ensure they are complying with increasingly stringent regulations.
Responsible Solutions, based at the Innovation Centre on the Loughborough University campus, works with organisations from a wide range of sectors to help them become more environmentally aware and socially responsible.
Its services include helping businesses to establish environmental management systems so that their policies not only adhere to standards such as ISO 14001 but also comply with requirements specified by their clients and other stakeholders.
Responsible Solutions’ managing director Ian Nicholson said that heightened awareness of corporate social responsibility was increasingly leading businesses to put greater onus on environmental issues.
And, he added, many were using the additional time available during the current downturn to look at ways of investing in their businesses and to address their environmental needs in preparation for economic recovery.
He said: “We have had several approaches in recent weeks from Midlands’ businesses in a variety of sectors who want to evaluate their systems and policies. These inquiries are often being driven by customers putting greater emphasis on environmental issues in tender documents.
“Although many of our clients are in the construction sector, our range of services is equally applicable to a whole host of industries particularly now that industry environmental standards are becoming more and more rigorous.”
“Responsibility in business makes good economic sense and has an immediate and lasting impact on a company’s success. By investing in environmental management, businesses not only achieve cost savings and reduce waste but also benefit from improved sales and greater customer loyalty – an important consideration in a downturn when competition is even tougher.”
Established in 2003, Responsible Solutions also offers a host of other related services including environmental training courses, cutting edge research for construction industry bodies and carbon footprint analysis. The company also provides a Virtual Environment Manager service for those businesses which need to comply with environmental legislation but do not employ their own in-house specialists.
