NatWest have recently released November’s edition of the UK Sustainability PMI report. This report shows that the nation’s businesses are committed to going green. Here we look at both the positive and negative changes and challenges that this will bring for all sectors, including Social Care.

Please find below some of the key findings from the report:

• Majority of UK firms cite action on recycling and cleaner business processes as high priorities in the next 12 months
• Monitoring supply chain sustainability rises in importance for service sector businesses
• Sustainable product launches slip back as near-term pandemic recovery diverts focus
• Customer expectations are the most commonly cited reason for action on environmental sustainability
• Four-in-five UK households say it’s important to align their spending habits with net zero goals
• NatWest’s Springboard to Sustainability report shows that half of the UK’s carbon reduction ambition can be delivered by the SME sector
• Low carbon energy consumption is an increasing priority for manufacturing companies

Commenting on the report, Andrew Harrison, Head of Business Banking NatWest: “The findings show that businesses and consumers are prioritising sustainability, but support is needed to give business the boost it needs to realise climate goals. NatWest’s Springboard to Sustainability report, published in October 2021, found that half the UK’s carbon reduction ambition can be delivered by the SME sector. This could unlock a £160 billion opportunity for SMEs in the process. To play our part, as the UK’s largest business bank, we’ve committed to lending £100 billion of Climate and Sustainable Funding and Financing by the end of 2025. Government, banks and authorities need to step up to make sure the affordable green revolution doesn’t stall. At NatWest, we’ll continue to focus on advice, education, coaching and products that can help SMEs contribute to cutting the UK’s carbon emissions by 50%. What all this tells us, in clear numbers, is that all sectors of the economy will play their part in helping the UK achieve its climate ambitions.”

Andrew Brindley, Director of AJ Recruitment, said: “The green economy is already worth £42.6bn, and after the recent COP26 climate conference in Glasgow it will be likely worth much more in the future. In addition to this, we are likely to all face greater greener laws and guidance in the near and distant future. The NatWest UK Sustainability PMI is a snapshot of where we are at as an economy and what future challenges hold for us all. Social Care will be no different to the rest of the economy and will have to meet these challenges head-on in the coming years. It will impact on the way we recycle items, the way our services and offices are heated and lit as well as the sustainable methods we use to get ourselves and service users around.”

This report allows you to benchmark your business against others that are part of the wider greener economy. I hope you find it useful to help you measure and understand where Social Care as a sector sits against the wider picture.

If you would like to discuss the findings in the above report, or about how we can collaborate, please let us know. To get in touch, email [email protected] or call us on 03305 552233.

As a specialist, family-run recruitment business, we provide a proactive and consultative approach to recruitment within Social Care. We help organisations to target issues such as continuity of staffing, reducing spend where you have a high volume of agency usage and supporting those who have specific talent requirements or are in hard to fill locations. We can help with any immediate staffing requirements or longer-term recruitment projects to ultimately save you time and money on agency spend.

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