Report on resource management IEMA The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) launched its latest report on Resource Management today at the 2014 Energy and Environment Expo in London. The report, entitled ‘From Waste to Resources – Implementing Sustainable Resource Management in Your Business’ examines the under-recognized critical business issue of sustainable resourcing, identifying key business benefits and providing practical steps on how these benefits can be achieved.
The report includes detailed case studies from Kingfisher, Philips, Ricoh, Rolls-Royce and Unilever.
The report on resource management was peer reviewed by a panel of 5 resource management leaders: Susanne Baker (Chair of the Materials Security Working Group), Ian Bamford (Commercial Director, EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial Sustainability), Martin Baxter (Director of Policy & External Engagement, IEMA), Dr Nancy Bocken (Senior Research Associate, University of Cambridge) and Drs Daan Elffers (CEO, EMG CSR Consultancy).
Tim Balcon, CEO of IEMA, stated: “Businesses worldwide can achieve trillion-dollar savings in little over a decade through effective resource management. Statistics like this make a very compelling business case for a wholesale shift in the way we source, use, re-use and dispose of materials. It will not only save money, it can make you money. And if that’s not a good enough case, it also contributes to saving the planet.
All businesses can benefit – financially and reputationally – from heeding the recommendations made in this report. Regardless of their starting point, every single organisation has the opportunity to make small changes to achieve massive results. 84% of businesses already recognise that better resource management is their biggest opportunity to create value. They need help to make it a reality and the remaining 16% need convincing. I am confident that this report will do that job.”
The 66-page report on resource management, written by the IEMA Policy & Practice Lead for Resource Management Josh Fothergill, provides an overview of the key elements of resource management, the response already being provided by business, and the type of action any organization can take to progress their transition.
Josh Fothergill: “Sustainable resource management can be achieved by all organisations, from SMEs to very large businesses. The research behind IEMA’s Business Briefing shows that skilled environment & sustainability professionals are vital to delivering these benefits to business. SMEs employing such skilled professionals are already saving over £5000 a year and the largest companies can save more than £1m a year.
The business benefits of sustainable resource management are becoming increasingly clear, from driving competitive advantage and through managing business risk to enabling opportunities for growth. IEMA’s report demonstrates that real action by real people is already creating real change. Daan Elffers, an IEMA affiliate and one of the experts on the reports peer review panel, is a great example of how action, innovation and clear business thinking combine to drive the sustainable resource agenda in a global market.”
Daan Elffers: “It is encouraging to see the discussion around ‘Waste to Resource’ advance beyond the ‘hygiene factors’ of efficiency and material cost savings to the much more effective approach of smart innovation and sustainable growth, where eco-efficiency and eco-effectiveness work hand in glove.”
To download the report on resource management, please click here: http://www.iema.net/rmreport