Page 21 - BOSS Today Issue 52

DOWN TO BUSINESS BOSS Today #52

hether it’s meat-free Mondays or n A requirement to reduce business
Wplanting a tree for the planet, we travel.
have all become accustomed to seeing n A carbon footprint target for each
initiatives intended to reverse the effect product produced that reduces over
of climate change. However, businesses time.
now need to put their best (green) foot n A mechanism that benchmarks the
forward, and place measures to tackle contractor’s carbon footprint against
climate change at the centre of their the market.
planning. n A clause requiring contracting carriers
The UK will host the 26th UN Climate to use energy-efficient vehicles for
Change Conference of the Parties any road carriage under a transport
(COP26) in Glasgow on 1–12 November agreement, or otherwise specify that
2021. The UK Government is keen to take a percentage of road journeys will use
the lead on initiatives to tackle climate green HGVs.
change, and this is likely to increasingly n Creative interest rate remedies by
become an issue which businesses need which payments are made either to a
to consider. green cause or an offsetter.
The UK Government currently has a n A clause in employment contracts
legally binding target of achieving net requiring the employer to provide, and
zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the employee to participate in, a range
has now announced a commitment to of climate education and awareness-
reduce UK carbon emissions by 78% raising interventions.
by 2035, compared to 1990 levels. This
commitment will be made legally binding Suppliers responding to invitations to
this year. tender may also be asked to complete
With the efforts to tackle climate a due diligence questionnaire requiring
change becoming a hot topic, many them to supply information on a wide
businesses will have to consider where range of climate related issues. In
they can reduce the use of carbon in addition, businesses may see financial
their operations and supply chains, institutions offering more favourable
whether by legal requirement or by terms to organisations that hit carbon
commercial necessity. reduction targets.
Big businesses have used their buying At the time of writing, we don’t yet
power to bring about change and to know what the content of the new
improve their own public image by legislation will be, but if the UK is to meet
requiring their suppliers demonstrate the ambitious targets being set, the next
their commitment to energy efficiency two years are likely to see significant For further information on this and
and to driving costs down. It is likely changes in terms of regulations, policies on contract clauses to support the
that suppliers will soon be required to and the financial implications of the reduction of carbon emissions, please
sign up to contracts containing green Government’s industrial decarbonisation contact Nicola Langley, Head of Legal, at
clauses. strategy. nicola.langley@bpif.org.uk
There is even a global collaboration All UK businesses should be ready to
of commercial lawyers who are seeking respond to any new legal obligations to
to encourage businesses to put tackling reduce their carbon footprint, and to
climate change at the heart of their put climate change reduction at the core
operations, and who have come up of business planning. BOSS is currently
with a range of ideas for clauses to be producing an Environmental Roadmap
included in commercial contracts which to help members through environmental
introduce legally-binding obligations compliance and best practice, and has a
to reduce the use of fossil fuels. These number of tools to assist its members to
include: measure their environmental impact.

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