Jonathan Tillson, Head of the Sustainable Development Unit at the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Chair of the SEED Board, explains UK’s plans in regards to supporting social and environmental entrepreneurs and talks about the focus on social and environmental entrepreneurs during the Copenhagen summit and the implications for COP16 in Mexico and about achieving a sustainable Olympics 2012 in London.

Question 1: What are the UK’s plans in regards to supporting social and environmental entrepreneurs, particularly at the international level and in developing countries?

J: The major plank of the UK’s international support to sustainable development entrepreneurism is through SEED. We joined as a SEED Partner in 2005 and our support has grown since then. Our hope was that this unique and innovative initiative would have a significant impact - not only through its tailored support to individual start-up enterprises that were approaching development on-the-ground in a truly sustainable way, but that it would get traction in national and international policy forums because of its high quality evidence and research.

These hopes are coming true. Past and present SEED Winners are scaling up their initiatives and SEED continues to develop tools specifically for social and environmental entrepreneurs. The latest, the ‘Entrepreneurs Toolkit’, is an online meeting place for entrepreneurs to share their knowledge about how to strengthen business performance and financial success, enhance positive economic, social and environmental impacts, and work effectively with partners, stakeholders and communities.

Looking ahead to the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, SEED should have a solid body of evidence to bring to the debates on the Green Economy and be able to showcase a number of enterprises which demonstrate that it is feasible to build a successful business while at the same time helping local communities, stimulating the economy, and providing environmental benefits. 

Between now and then, the UK will continue its support to SEED and spread the approach and lessons learned as widely as possible, building stronger bridges to the development and wider business communities. If we can persuade them, and an increasing number of small, micro and medium-sized enterprises, of the advantages of adopting the business approach taken by SEED Winners, the ‘green economy’ will truly take off.

Q2: Growing the green economy is central to tackling climate change. After the Copenhagen Summit, do you think there are chances of building momentum to give social and environmental entrepreneurship a greater focus at COP 16 in Mexico and what would be key ways of achieving this?

J: We had hoped that Copenhagen would have delivered more, but we do have the Copenhagen Accord, which is a step in the right direction and a platform. This reaffirmed the need to limit temperature increases to 2 degrees Celsius, countries are making mitigation commitments, and there was agreement to fast start finance approach $30bn, and long term finance of $100bn. We can build on this in reaching a global consensus on solving environmental challenges. Our sights are now on making further progress at COP16 in Cancun in December 2010.

Social and environmental entrepreneurism and the ‘green economy’ is an issue the UK government is a firm believer in. The UK’s low carbon transition plan for instance commits to creating more than one million new jobs in the green economy. We believe enterprises are part and parcel of promoting the sustainable use of resources and reversing climate change.

Q3: London will host the Olympics in 2012, many people will stream into the city, many new buildings and venues will be built. What efforts will be made to make the Olympics sustainable and also bring about positive social and environmental benefits? Will there be space for social and environmental enterprises to contribute?

J: We have seen, over the past few years, how global events are increasingly paying attention to their environmental and social footprint. London is able to take advantage of their experience, and we are committed to maximising sustainability through all phases of the 2012 Games – setting new sustainability standards in building the venues and infrastructure, staging the Games, and then leaving a long term sustainability legacy.

Looking at “build” phase of the Games, London 2012 certainly seems to be delivering against its sustainability objectives around construction, for example, by minimising greenhouse gas emissions where possible (e.g. the concrete mix for the main stadium uses 42% less carbon than standard and 60% of materials/waste transported by rail or water).

There is a similar story on waste management, with over 97% of demolition waste recycled or reused so far, and a “zero waste to landfill at Games-time” commitment. There promises to be a legacy of around 45ha of new habitats and 102ha of open space in the Olympic Park, post-Games, and building designs include over 6,000m2 of living roof.

The Games are already generating social benefits, and of the 5000 currently employed on site, 12% were previously unemployed, 21% are BAME, and 6% are women. Longer term, the UK Government has made 5 promises for how London and the UK can be transformed by the 2012 Games. The fourth of these focuses on sustainability (‘to make the Olympic Park a blueprint for sustainable living and ‘to inspire sustainable living’).

Defra is leading on the second part of this London 2012 legacy ambition, and is looking to work with the Third Sector on a series of projects that will use the Games to encourage people to adopt more sustainable behaviours, such as being more energy and water efficient, taking more active travel choices (e.g. by cycling or walking where possible); making more sustainable purchasing and consumption choices, with a particular focus on food; being more involved and active in “greening up” their gardens and local community spaces; and wasting less and recycling more.

We hope that our experience will inform future events elsewhere in the world. Indeed, we are already in touch with other major players, trying to build momentum for increasingly ambitious sustainability legacies.