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BT And Tata Steel Sign To Wales Sustainable Charter

6 February 2012

Business support for the Welsh Government's Sustainable Development charter is continuing to flourish, with the recent addition of two new and high profile recruits

So far this year both BT and Tata Steel have signed up to the Welsh Government's charter which commits businesses and organisations operating in Wales to putting sustainable decision making right at the heart of their decision making.

The Welsh Government has established and promoted the charter to encourage organisations and business in Wales to make decisions that will bring long term benefits, rather than short term fixes to themselves, the Welsh economy and to Welsh communities.

The new additions mean that 117 businesses and organisations have now publicly declared their commitment to operating sustainably. The list includes other leading business names such as Marks and Spencer, PwC, Sharp Electronics, Carillion PLC and Lloyds TSB, as well as a number of the small and medium organizations, which are the backbone of the Welsh economy. 　

The charter also boasts support from key public sector organisations such as British Waterways and Cardiff University, and high profile voluntary organisations like the National Trust and Keep Wales Tidy.

Environment Minister John Griffiths said: "Our SD Charter urges organisations to put sustainability at the heart of their development and ensure that their decisions promote the long term wellbeing of people and communities.

"Tata and BT are both major employers in Wales. 　I fully welcome their public commitment to sustainable business decision making and urge other organisations in Wales to follow their sustainable lead."　　

Tata Steel's Dr Paul Brooks, director of environment, said:　"By signing up to the Welsh Government's SD Charter we are publicly demonstrating our commitment to continuing and progressing our good work in this area.

Niall Dunne, BT's Chief Sustainability Officer, said: "Sustainability issues are becoming increasingly important to our customers in Wales. We are committed to finding ways of reducing our impact on the environment and signing the Welsh Government's Charter highlights our determination to keep sustainability embedded into our day to day operation."

By signing up to the charter they also put themselves at the heart of key debates and discussions on sustainable development policy, which is particularly relevant at a time when the Welsh Government is considering how it might legislate across the public sector to create a stronger commitment to sustainable development.

Darrel Moore