We are delighted to announce that Peter Harrison of Furniture Village has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership Furniture Village is a household name and few people may appreciate that this is a family business. Peter set out to transform the furniture retail space and has been on quite the journey. He has built up a great business and orchestrated the transition to the second generation and as a family firm the culture and values embedded in the business set them apart. The culture of leadership is empowering and enabling of others to achieve their full potential. Peter has been instrumental in the success of the business and continues to lead from the front with a team of great people around him. Furniture Village is an award-winning business in their furniture retail sector but has also achieved national success in the family business arena too, something that would not have been possible without the business being the success that it is today, and that is clearly closely linked to Peter’s passion, determination and vision that was apparent when the business started. "Peter is a great family business advocate and thoroughly deserving of his place in the Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that Jake Karia of Jake & Nayns has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership Champion of Change & Innovation Jake is the Managing Director at Jake & Nayns which was formed by two brothers with a love of great food and started with their childhood from memories of being surrounded by beautiful and delicious food prepared by their Mum. "Mum would always make such amazing dishes that every meal was an adventure!" Having madly busy lifestyles they found that they would often rely on street food vendors to fuel them up and keep them going, however could never find anything that matched up to the tasty food mum would always make for them at home. So, they decided it was time for a change! They set out to combine the vibrancy of street food with the passion of their mums cooking and bring the street to the supermarket. And so Jake & Nayns’ was born! Two brothers with one goal, food domination! Jake leads from the front and fully embraces their family values and history into this ever-evolving brand. He is a real family business entrepreneur and seen the combined family vision become a reality. Jake has a real flair for what he does, driving from the front and creating a fantastic family business culture which continues to build on a family story. "Proud of where the business began and the narrative that has helped shape it, Jake continues to build a great business with a great team around him. He is thoroughly deserving of his place in the Family Business Top 100."

John Good Group, a renowned leader in the travel and logistics industry, is delighted to announce its strategic transformation that includes a dynamic new brand identity, redesigned website, a focused investment arm in renewable energy, and a new executive team. This shift aligns with the company's strong commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. The new branding, carefully crafted to reflect the John Good Group's heritage, whilst signalling its forward-thinking and sustainable approach, incorporates a fresh logo and redesigned website. The new website offers an enhanced user experience, comprehensive insights about the group's companies and people within the organisation. Simultaneously, John Good Group is amplifying its investment plans with a strong focus on sustainability. This move highlights the group's commitment to sustainable business practices and its aim to be an active participant in the global transition towards cleaner energy sources. Moreover, the group is fortifying its leadership with the induction of a new C-suite team. The team, comprising some of the top talent in their respective industries, is tasked with steering the company towards its growth objectives while fortifying its commitment to sustainable practices. Rich Quelch, Chief Marketing Officer of John Good Group, says, “The John Good Group is now galvanising the new phase of the group with our focus on People, Planet, and Performance, we're committing to being a real force for good and at the forefront of the John Good Group brand. Our new branding and website reflect not just our group's identity, but the sectors we are seeking to invest and expand in. This is an exciting journey as a leading, family-owned business that is continuously innovating for a brighter future.” As part of its strategic transformation, John Good Group is placing considerable emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. The group believes in the power of business to bring positive change and is dedicated to integrating ESG principles into its operations and investment decisions.

We are delighted to announce that Joseph H Astrachan has been inducted into the Family Business United ‘Family Business Hall of Fame,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work in advancing the field of family business. Joseph serves on the boards of 10 family businesses, conducts scientific research, speaks and teaches on the topic and serves as chair of the family business consulting firm he cofounded with Andrew Keyt and Greg McCann, Generation6. Joseph comes from a family business family, the largest family business they were associated with being the NYSE listed Seatrain Lines. He is the former Editor of the Family Business Review and the Journal of Family Business Strategy and has spent over 40 years studying and working with family companies. During his family business career he has served on over 20 family business boards and is the Emeritus Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Kennesaw State University, the Family Business Fellow with the Smith Family Business Initiative at Cornell University, the Visiting scholar at Germany’s Witten/Herdecke University and the Institut für Finanzdienstleistungen, Luzern Switzerland as well as the Affiliated Professor at the Centre for Family Entrepreneurship and Ownership at Sweden’s Jönköping International Business School. Joseph has won multiple awards which include the FFI’s Beckhard and International Awards (and fellow status), FBN’s International Award, multiple IFERA awards, and FERC’s Lifetime Influence and Impact Award. He also holds BA, MA, MPhil and PhD degrees from Yale University. As Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United adds, “Joseph has made an exemplary contribution to the world of family business, and continues to do so. He thoroughly deserves his place in the Family Business Hall of Fame.” As Joseph concludes, “It is an honour to be included in the Family Business Hall of Fame among colleagues and friends. The Hall of Fame serves to promote the field of family business and help all stakeholders understand the importance of family business to society and economy. As I have seen first hand through the aftermath of a failed significant family business, my mission in life has been to help protect those who work for and with family businesses. It is also a pleasure to help them and their families through study, teaching, and writing, and working with families and their businesses to improve family dynamics, asset management practices, and business strategy and management.” “I love the fact that when families are cohesive and mission driven it feels as though nothing can stop them and the love and caring that this releases seems indescribable.”

A weekend extravaganza of fine food, drinks and entertainment is on the cards at a Lake District spa resort to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the hotel group which runs it. Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa is hosting two days of party fun and games on the shoreline of Windermere across the weekend of 15 and 16 July 2023. With an outdoor marquee the centrepiece on the hotel lawns, the Saturday line-up includes live music from solo acoustic artists and a saxophonist, the Lakes Distillery Gin Bar, an ESPA Skincare spa experience bar in the hotel atrium, mind reading magic from Christopher Hurst, and a firework display at around 10:00pm to close the party. As well as Low Wood Bay’s own mouth-watering fare, food stalls include the Mansergh Hall Farm hog roast, Smokey Pikes BBQ, Jockey’s Food Truck and Fiery Mamma’s pizza. A family day on the Sunday from 10:30am to 4:00pm offers free entry to children and features a bouncy castle, crazy golf and soft play, as well as a popcorn and candy floss cart and free boat trips from Windermere Lakes Cruises. DJ Gary Mills provides the musical entertainment throughout the day. English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues, which runs Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa, the Wild Boar Inn and the Lancaster House Hotel, was established in 1953. The hotel group is marking its 70th year of operation with a host of competitions, activities and free stay giveaways. Mark Needham from English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues says: "This is a wonderful opportunity for friends of Low Wood Bay and all our guests past and present to join us in celebrating the group’s success, rich history and growth over the past 70 years." “There will be great fun to be had on both days including a host of food and drink stalls as well as our very own delicious BBQ, and a variety of entertainment with music, magic, mini spa treatments and fireworks.” Tickets for the event are £5 per person, with the ticket value redeemable at the bar as a discount on drinks orders. Ticket bookings also offer the chance for a select few to win a complimentary B&B stay at one of English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues in the Lake District or North Lancashire as part of the hotel group’s 70th anniversary giveaway. The free one-night guest stays are based on a bed and breakfast room booking for two people.

Faversham-based brewery and pub company Shepherd Neame has named FareShare as its Charity of the Year for 2023/24. FareShare is the UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and food waste. It works with the food industry to get good to eat food, that might otherwise go to waste, to a network of 8,500 charities and community groups across the UK. These charities help tackle the root causes of poverty, and provide vital services including homelessness shelters, lunch clubs for elderly people suffering with isolation, and support with issues including debt, employment and mental health. Chief Executive Jonathan Neame said: “We are committed to doing the right thing for our communities, our people and our environment. In light of the ongoing cost of living crisis, we wanted to choose a charity partner which made a real difference to families and individuals in need. FareShare’s ethos also fits with our ongoing efforts throughout the business to limit waste and recycle wherever possible, in line with our pledge to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2025.” Last year FareShare provided the equivalent of 128 million meals to charities and groups across the UK, reaching 1 million people. For every £1 raised by Shepherd Neame, FareShare will be able to provide the equivalent of 4 meals. The Sheps Giving committee, which oversees Shepherd Neame’s charity initiatives and donations, will be working with FareShare to organise fundraising and promotional activities at the brewery and across its pub estate throughout the next 12 months. These include a pledge to donate 50p from every Kids Meal Deal sold across its managed pubs and hotel to the charity. Visit www.shepherdneame.co.uk/sheps-giving.co.uk for full terms and conditions. As part of its fundraising activities, Shepherd Neame continues to partner with Pennies, the digital charity box. Customers drinking and dining at selected pubs are invited to make a 25 pence donation when they spend over £10 and pay on a card via Chip & Pin. Every penny given goes to charity: 90% to FareShare and 10% to Pennies. Jonathan Neame added: “In addition to raising money for the charity during the year ahead, we will also be offering our team members the opportunity to take time away from their roles to volunteer with FareShare, including helping out at one of their warehouses and supporting food drives or collections. FareShare partners with a number of charities helping communities in our Kentish heartland, along with London and across the South East, so our pubs and hotels in those areas will be able to get involved as well. We are really excited about working with FareShare during the coming year.” Shabnam Amini, director of fundraising at FareShare said: “We are delighted that Shepherd Neame has chosen us as their Charity of the Year. The money raised will make a valuable contribution to helping us get good-to-eat surplus food to people who need it most, and help strengthen communities by supporting the essential work of our network of 8,500 charities.”

GLEE - the UK’s leading garden and outdoor living trade show, announced the winners of this year's ‘Buyers Power List’. The awards are a celebration of the positive impact retailers make in the garden centre industry and recognise the outstanding talent of buyers and their influence in the market. Perrywood Garden Centre buyers were delighted to have been placed in the following categories; 1st place for Home & Gifts and Christmas, 2nd place for Food & Drink and Garden Care and our Plant buyer was awarded 3rd place. Perrywood achieved 2nd place for the Overall Independent Garden Centre Buying Team of the Year! The famous trade show takes place at the NEC, Birmingham. Contenders were nominated by other GLEE attendees and a panel of judges announced the results live at the show. Simon Bourne, Retail Director, comments, “We are thrilled to be winners. Our buying team are extremely dedicated to keeping the garden centre fully stocked with superior quality plants, giftware, gardening essentials and seasonal products all year round." "We are very proud of their hard work; they are a key part of our business and the unique range of products they source keep our valuable customers coming back time and time again!”

The culmination of the Family Business of the Year Awards 2023 saw GAP Group take home the Supreme Champion Family Business of the Year award at a gala awards evening held at The Royal College of Physicians in Regent’s Park in London. Organised by Family Business United, these prestigious awards are now a firm fixture in the family business calendar and celebrate the very best of British family firms from all corners of the UK. Awards are given by region, sector and nationally in recognition of qualities such as entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability, community engagement and ultimately one family business is crowned the Supreme Champions. As Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United explains, “As an organisation we champion and celebrate family-owned businesses across the UK, recognising the contribution they make in terms of employment, income generation and wealth creation as well as the impact they have on the communities in which they operate.” “Since 2012 these awards have grown to become something really special, recognising family firms from all sectors, young and multi-generational family firms alike, large and small but all sharing the same underlying values, pride and passion for what they do and a strong desire to do business the right way. Each of the winners is a great business with a strong narrative and is a great ambassador for the broader family business community too.” Early in the evening Iain Anderson collected the Scottish Family Business of the Year award for GAP Group before being awarded the ultimate accolade and collecting the Supreme Champion title that has been won previously by the likes of Smith of Derby, St Austell Brewery and Furniture Village. GAP Group is the market-leading equipment hirer in the UK with over almost 200 locations nationwide. The business was founded back in 1969 and they have been recognised as an inspirational family business that has been on an incredible growth journey. They now employ over 2000 people across the UK, have family values embedded within the organisation and a strong, and engaged next generation to help drive the next chapter of their journey. As Derek Hamill, Partner at Gilson Gray who sponsored the Scottish Family Business of the Year award confirms: “GAP Group is an inspirational company that continues to push boundaries. It has a strong family ethos and has shown strong engagement and commitment to the next generation.” “There are some incredible family businesses across Scotland and there were some strong contenders for this award but GAP Group stood out. They are a fantastic and well-resourced business, have demonstrated great financial performance throughout their history and show a strong commitment to the well-being of all their staff.” As Stewart Sanderson, title at Brooks Macdonald who sponsored the Supreme Champion award continues: “This is a family business that continues to invest in all aspects of what they do and how they do it.” "An incredible business. An incredible family. Great family business ambassadors. GAP Group are a worthy winner of the ultimate award and deserve all the accolades that come with winning this title." Iain Anderson, joint Managing Director of GAP Group who collected the awards added: We were delighted to accept the two prestigious awards at the Family Business of the Year Awards 2023 held in London. We have built a business we are extremely proud of, servicing the construction and utility markets and couldn’t have done it without the dedication and commitment from our 2000 employees.” “We strive to help lead the way with other family businesses in the UK to ensure our sector is acknowledged and supported. Over the next five to six years we will expand the range of equipment we can offer our customers with the aim of doubling our turnover.” As Paul concludes, “Family businesses are the engine room of the UK economy and these awards celebrate their contribution. It was great to bring the family business community back together in person to recognise the incredible family firms that operate throughout the UK and to crown some fantastic winners.” “Congratulations to GAP Group on winning this award. It is fantastic recognition of what they do as a business and it was a pleasure to present them with the award at the end of a fantastic evening that once more put the family business sector on the map.”

One of the areas that many of the next generation ask us for is insights into finance and help in gaining financial awareness and understanding. The team at Brooks Macdonald have provided us with an article and video on equity investing and in this first piece we look at what an equity is, look at the building blocks of equities, and look at some equity investment styles. What Is An Equity? If you look at a company, you can view it in terms of its assets and liabilities. In terms of assets, to take one example, a company might own a chain of supermarkets or department stores, and all the intellectual property and equipment that go with these. Against these assets, the company will also hold liabilities, which might be money to be paid out in rent for store space and warehouses, money owed to banks or other lenders, and so forth. What is left over after all the liabilities have been paid, is what we call the equity of a company. It is the remainder of assets once all outgoing payment obligations have been met or accounted for. If You Own An Equity, What Do You Get? As an equity holder, you participate in the future growth of a company. You also (usually) acquire voting rights, which means that you may attend the company’s Annual General Meeting, and exercise your vote on the resolutions that come through from the company’s board. This could includes votes on, for example, directors’ remuneration, dividends, or any number or manner of different resolutions. Essentially, when things are going well, equity holders have some of the best exposure to that company. There are typically two broad options for investing in companies (equities and bonds): bonds generally provide holders with a fixed amount of income per annum (hence their alternative descriptor “fixed income”), but equities are variable. As an equity holder, you do not know exactly what returns you will get in the future, or what dividends, or indeed what amount of capital growth: you participate in the fate of the company, alongside the other equity holders. If the company struggles or performance badly, as an equity holder, this could mean in a worst-case scenario that you do not even make you money back. Equity investors are at the higher risk end of the corporate structure, and will be some of the first to feel the effect of a change in fortune for the company. If things continue to go badly then, over time, the debt or bond holders might be impacted too, but initially it will be equity holders who suffer the early effects. An often-overlooked point is that if the company decides to issue more shares, equity holders automatically have the right to buy more of these shares. During the financial crisis, a lot of companies, and banks in particular, came to the market to raise fresh equity capital, which is a relatively cheap source of funding for them to implement and, unlike issuing bonds, does not involve commitment to repayments. However, new share issues have the potential to dilute the other share holdings. If, for example, a company has 100 shares in issue and then issues a further 100, there would now be 200 shares sharing in the fate of the company. As an initial equity investor (in the original 100), you have the right to buy into the new share issue these new to make sure that your overall holding is not diluted (which in this example would otherwise result in a 50% dilution). Public Versus Private Companies A public company is owned by a broad group of investors and is traded on what we call an exchange, such as the London Stock Exchange. This allows investors, both retail and institutional, to buy and sell shares in these companies. An exchange is effectively an intermediary between the buyers and the sellers, and the exchange will effectively match supply with demand. Brokers also use exchanges, and may be independent organisations or some of the major investment banks, looking either to sell or buy some of these equities. A public listed company is usually at a relatively advanced stage of its lifecycle or is a company that is growing rapidly. Importantly, once shares in a company trade on an exchange, they become more liquid. A publicly traded company’s equity tends to be owned by external shareholders, which is the opposite of what you usually find with a private company. Corporate governance tends to be stronger and more transparent: a public company must abide by the rules and regulations necessary to list on an exchange. A public company board will have a combination of people who work for the company and independent, external members who are what we call “non-executive directors.” These non-executive directors provide an additional level of oversight to make sure that the company is not only in keeping with the rules of the exchange on which it is listed, but also that it is acting in the interests of its shareholders. A private company, on the other hand, is not traded on an exchange. Private companies tend to be smaller than public companies, and to be more tightly controlled, by virtue of having a smaller number of shareholders. A private company might be, for example, a family owned business, and it might be structured in a similar way to a public company, albeit with a smaller number of shareholders, each with relatively large shareholdings. A private company is typically in the earlier stages of its lifecycle – this is different from when you see a company that has been bought by a private equity company. A private equity company is a company that looks to take relatively small companies or struggling companies, and build on them and restructure them as necessary in order to produce something that they can sell to the broader market through what is called an initial public offering, or an “IPO.” As private companies tend to be in the earlier stage of their lifecycle, they may have less rigorous corporate governance; in order to list its equity on an exchange, a company must abide by certain rules and regulations relating in particular to corporate governance, and a private company might not yet meet these same standards. Private company shares may be very illiquid, as the number of people buying and selling them is very small, compared to listed public companies. If you do hold shares in a private company and want to sell your holding, you will probably have to find a buyer yourself, or wait for an opportunity where the company will agree either to find a buyer or buy back your holding. This means that for private companies, you do not have what we call ‘price discovery’: for public companies, if you want to sell your shares, there will be enough parties buying and selling those shares on the exchange to give a pretty good idea of what the current price is. As private companies are not listed, the price at which you buy and sell is much less transparent, and harder to anticipate. In return for the illiquidity, the early-stage position in the corporate lifecycle, and probably less transparent corporate governance, private company equity investors generally have the potential for a higher return, on account of the fact that they are taking on these higher levels of risk, in comparison to public company equity investors. Liquidity Liquidity is an expression for how easily any financial security can be bought or sold. Some examples of more illiquid (i.e. difficult to buy and sell) assets include property, physical assets such as factory equipment, and unlisted private company shares. At the other end of the liquidity scale, we see assets such as listed equities and bonds, and the most liquid asset is cash. When it comes to equities, the question of being listed on an exchange or being unlisted is a significant determinant of liquidity. Equities traded on an exchange, such as any of the large supermarkets, banks, department stores and tech companies, while not being as liquid as cash, are still relatively easy to buy and sell. Whereas a private company, particularly if it’s quite closely held, will probably be closer to the “illiquid” end of the scale – there may be only annual options to buy or sell that holding, or indeed there may be no opportunity at all to buy or sell until the company is brought to the market in an Initial Public Offering. Equity Investment Styles Within listed equities, there are still many different levels of liquidity, and there are different equity investment styles that may aim to capture some of this extra risk and reward potential, and others that aim to avoid it, depending on the particular fund and its investment mandate. If you look at the ‘mega cap’ companies such as Apple, Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell, these are right at the top end of the liquidity scale for equities. They form large proportions of the major equity market indices and have a very large number of shares in issue. Moving a little bit further down the scale, you reach the ‘large cap’ companies, most of which are well-known household names such as Aviva, Morrison’s and Just Eat, which are still very liquid, despite not being as big as the ‘mega cap’ leaders. Moving still further down the scale, you reach what are known as ‘medium cap’ and ‘small cap’ companies. What is important to note here for purposes of liquidity is that although these companies are still listed equities, they are generally less popular with equity market analysts, and therefore less well-know. This means that despite being listed, they are probably not traded with the same frequency or in the same volumes as their larger counterparts, which means that they are less liquid. If you choose to invest in these areas of the equity market, you might have the opportunity of a higher return than for a mega-cap company, but you would also take on higher risks, including lower price transparency and lower liquidity. Notes: – The value of your investments and the income from them may go down as well as up and neither is guaranteed. Investors could get back less than they invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Changes in exchange rates may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment. Changes in interest rates may also impact the value of fixed income investments. The value of your investment may be impacted if the issuers of underlying fixed income holdings default, or market perceptions of their credit risk change. There are additional risks associated with investments in emerging or developing markets. The information in this document does not constitute advice or a recommendation and investment decisions should not be made on the basis of it.

You’ve probably asked yourself this question thousands of times during your working life, but what happens after the daily grind grinds to a halt? When you choose to stop? Today’s retirement plans have become more flexible, with more ownership falling to individuals. And many are choosing to reduce their paid work gradually. By taking time to prepare for your retirement, you could be in a much better position to really enjoy the time ahead when you decide to no longer work full time. At Brooks Macdonald, they are dedicated to helping people prepare for this change. Download and read the guide below which includes a series of important questions and answers that will help you plan for your retirement journey:

The climate crisis is at the forefront of public discussion. The UK government is working towards a pledge to reduce carbon emissions and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. To do this, the government has presented the Ten Point Plan for the Green Industrial Revolution. This plan will allow the private sector to thrive in a way that is beneficial for the environment. By 2030, the government will invest £90 billion and support 44,000 jobs within green industries. Manufacturing accounts for a huge amount of carbon emissions. According to the Office for National Statistics, manufacturing was the fourth highest industry contributing to greenhouse gas emissions between 1990-2020. The UK has seen a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 1990. However, despite the Ten Point Plan, there is still a long way to go if the United Kingdom is to achieve net zero by 2050. Thankfully, companies in the manufacturing industry are working towards combatting the climate crisis. Here, with some insights from David Taylor at the commercial LPG division at Flogas , we explore how manufacturing companies are reducing their carbon emissions and helping to lead the UK towards a net zero future. Taylors of Harrogate: Carbon-Neutral Yorkshire Tea Taylors of Harrogate is a family-owned business based in Yorkshire, England. The company produces a number of products, including a wide range of teas and coffee. Its most notable product is Yorkshire Tea, which was voted the best cup of tea by Brits in 2021. As a company, Taylors prides itself on prioritising people and the planet. Following this ethos, they build lasting relationships with their suppliers and sustainably source their ingredients. Taylors combats the climate crisis in many ways. The company aims to make all of its plastic packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025. As well as this, Taylors began reducing its carbon emissions in 2015 and has since announced in 2020 that the company is completely carbon neutral. In order to achieve this, the business measured the average volume of carbon dioxide that was emitted into the earth’s atmosphere at every stage of its production line. This technique allows companies to calculate how much carbon offsetting they need to achieve to balance out the emissions they cannot avoid. Companies that use this method make up for their day-to-day greenhouse gas emissions by contributing to offsetting projects. These projects can encompass work such as forest conservation and renewably energy expansion. In collaboration with the Kenya Tea Development Agency, Taylors has encouraged over 7000 farmers to plant almost 2 million trees. This is carbon offsetting, as the trees absorb carbon dioxide and balance greenhouse gas emissions. Siemens UK: Zero Waste In Newcastle And Wind Turbine Energy A manufacturing company founded in the UK; Siemens has sites across the country. This includes Electrum manufacturing sites in Wythenshawe and healthcare manufacturing facilities in Swords. Siemens manufactures a number of integral products and systems, such as traffic lights, gas turbines, and medical scanners. Siemens recycles 92% of its materials and has an amazing 0% landfill waste capacity in Newcastle. The company has also spearheaded multiple national projects, including the Keele University Smart Energy Network Demonstrator. This is the largest grid in Europe. The project positively affects 350 buildings on campus and reduces 4,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. As well as this, Siemens is committed to expanding the use of renewable energy. The company created a wind turbine blade factory in Hull, which is the nation’s largest offshore wind manufacturing facility. The UK government is said to be investing £160 million into the blade factory. The investment will double the factory’s size and provide a total of 1200 jobs across the whole facility. The company’s current project, the 1.4GW Hornsea Two, powers the equivalent of 1.3 million homes. Siemens’ turbines are utilised in the North Sea and around the world, powering a future free from harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Quorn: Recycled Packaging And Reducing The Use Of Plastic Quorn is a manufacturing company based in Stokesley, Yorkshire. The UK company, which produces meat-free food alternatives, is committed to tackling carbon emissions one bite at a time. In fact, switching just one meal to Quorn mince is said to save the same amount of greenhouse gases as it takes to charge a phone for three years. The food manufacturing industry is responsible for 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock farming accounts for 14.5% of all emissions alone. In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, Quorn calculates its carbon emissions from farm to fork. This includes the ingredients, factories, packaging, and transport it uses during the process. Quorn pieces produce a minuscule 0.22kg of carbon dioxide per serving. To put meat-free products into perspective, UK chicken produces 5kg of carbon dioxide per serving. Moreover, Quorn has committed to reducing plastic waste within the food manufacturing industry. As of 2019, Quorn has removed all black plastic from products. Additionally, the company has created ready meal PET trays made of 80% recycled material. However, plastic packaging is important to the hygiene and safety of a food product, so it cannot always be avoided. To ensure it minimises its impact on the environment, Quorn collaborates with RECOUP and WRAP UK Plastic Pack. There is a long way to go before the UK can achieve carbon neutrality. Whether the nation achieves net zero by 2050 is down to the government’s cooperation with UK companies. Manufacturing companies are an important part of this. Now, corporations are responding to the climate crisis more than ever. Companies are achieving carbon neutrality, expanding turbine power, and recycling plastic waste. How will your business continue to lead the way in sustainable manufacturing?

The UK has become more environmentally conscious in recent years. In fact, the global pandemic encouraged people to become more sustainable, and 36 per cent of consumers report supporting companies that are environmentally friendly. But where do Gen Z fit into this? Reconomy , a leading supplier of sustainable waste management solutions, explores how the younger generations are influencing businesses to be more environmentally conscious and how your business can lead the way for a brighter tomorrow. What Does Gen Z Think? The increasing interest in sustainability has created a space for young people to campaign for continued action against climate change. And thanks to the powerhouse voices of Greta Thunberg, Vanessa Nakate, and Mya-Rose Craig, Gen Z has become the generation of sustainable activists. According to a survey by Bupa, 63 per cent of Gen Z and millennial respondents reported feeling the burden of climate change, compared to only 37 per cent of Gen X and 28 per cent of baby boomers. This could be a result of powerful media coverage that has raised awareness of the damage being caused by our behaviour. Firstly, Blue Planet in 2017, then the WWF advert, ‘Fight for Your World’, which resonated deeply with many, stating that this is the first generation to know that we are destroying the world and the last to do anything about it. These values have gone on to influence the individual behaviours of older generations. And, according to a survey conducted by Deloitte, 39 per cent of adults reduced the number of new goods they bought between 2020-2021 as a result of the values of Gen Z and millennials. How Has This Affected Businesses? Individual behaviours cannot be solely responsible for reversing the negative effects of global warming. As a result, people are looking beyond individual factors by holding businesses and governments responsible for national and global carbon footprints. 34 per cent actively chose to buy from sustainable brands between 2020-2021. But how do consumers know which brands are sustainable? Marketing campaigns can be utilised to showcase sustainable products or services. This presents brands as desirable to Gen Z and millennials. However, actions speak louder than words, and delivering results is proving to be just as important as marketing. Sustainability within businesses is itself changing. The commercial landscape for companies is evolving and moving away from a consumptive capitalism approach towards a more regenerative form. Businesses that fail to adapt are likely to face extinction. The shift in consumer behaviours has also encouraged the growth of the green economy, which was reportedly worth £205.76 billion in 2021. This includes over 75,000 low-carbon businesses, such as recycling plants and wind turbine manufacturers, that prioritise the environment and employ over 1.2 million people across the nation. How Can Your Business Tackle Climate Change? More often than not, businesses are taking steps to become more sustainable. On the other hand, sometimes companies are stuck on a transitional path, stalled by individual cost centres that are preventing holistic decision making. This can often lead to departments making polarising decisions based on the way that their business runs. In these circumstances, companies fail to recognise the full scope of their resource cycle and all of the benefits that come with having a varied approach. To achieve meaningful progress, businesses should successfully implement sustainable waste management solutions into their culture, structure, and strategy. This might not be implemented straight away for some, although from a procurement perspective, they should be able to make decisions that have a lasting impact on the entire organisation. This has been a challenge for some businesses until recently, as each unit would procure for their own requirement, and there were not as many comprehensive solutions that could consider the whole resource cycle. Overall, there’s no doubt that sustainability is taking centre stage. Baby boomers and millennials have paved the way for Gen Z to campaign for current concerns surrounding the speed of climate change. In turn, businesses are being held accountable for their actions, fuelling hope for a future free from the negative effects of global warming.