28 February 2008
Senator Phillip Ozouf has launched Jersey ’s first environmental accreditation scheme for local businesses. The scheme, ECO-ACTIVE BUSINESS is a branch of the ECO-ACTIVE campaign that was launched by Senator Freddie Cohen at the beginning of 2007. 
This initiative targets local organisations and businesses and helps them to identify and reduce the environmental impacts of their operations. Senator Ozouf said ‘I believe that the time is absolutely right for this scheme. The global environmental challenges we face are serious and cannot be ignored. Jersey has an international reputation and we want all local businesses to show their competitors that they are acting in an environmentally responsible way. Organisations are rightly aware that their customers and staff are judging them on their environmental performance and they also know that good environmental performance makes good business sense.’
ECO-ACTIVE BUSINESS provides concrete assistance to all organisations of whatever size and shape through the provision of a ‘Toolkit’ and guidance material, all of which is hosted on the website www.ECO-ACTIVE-BUSINESS.je. By committing to meaningful environmental improvement, businesses can become a member of the scheme. By becoming accredited members of the scheme, businesses will :-
- Reduce their environmental impact;
- Comply with local environmental legislation;
- Demonstrate to their customers and staff that they value the environment;
- Improve their bottom line by using resources more efficiently
The project is a partnership project between the Department for Economic Development and the Planning and Environment Department. Critical to the initiative has been the project’s partners the Gerard Le Claire Environmental Trust and Standard Chartered Bank.
Alison McFadyen, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank, Jersey, said ‘Our organisation recognises the value our customers place on the environmental performance of our business and we are delighted to partner this initiative that will help and guide all businesses to minimise their environmental impacts. We are celebrating Standard Chartered’s 30th anniversary in Jersey this year and it is fitting that we were involved in developing this scheme which will benefit the whole community.’’
Sarah Le Claire of the Gerard Le Claire Environmental Trust added ‘The value of this locally tailored scheme is that it is applicable to all types of businesses and organisations from an international financial organisation to a sole trader. It is free to join and businesses identify the environmental improvements relevant to them making it truly something that all organisations can sign up to’.
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Notes to Editors:
- For Ministerial Comment please contact Senator Phillip Ozouf, Minister for Economic Development on 448824 or Senator Freddie Cohen on 448416
- For further information on the scheme, please contact Dr Louise Magris , Assistant director for Environmental Policy, Planning and Environment Department, 441600
- For Sponsors’ quotes
- Alison McFadyen, Standard Chartered Bank, Tel 704115
- Sarah Le Claire , Gerard Le Claire Environmental Trust Tel 441600
gov.je