Conservative leader David Cameron has said that if elected to power, his party will introduce voluntary “Responsibility Deals” to encourage business to work to address society problems – starting with one for waste.
By working together constructively with business we can achieve far more than through top-down, over prescriptive micro-management.
David Cameron
Launching a report on the project yesterday, Mr Cameron revealed that former Tory MP and former Asda chairman Archie Norman will develop a strategy for the Responsibility Deal “which will look at the issue of producer waste”.
The ex-supermarket boss has been asked to lead a steering group looking for ways of working with companies to bring about a “fundamental rethink” of tackling waste.
The review comes just six months after the Conservative Party was handed the recommendations of its “Quality of Life” review, which under the leadership of Ecologist editor Zac Goldsmith and former environment secretary John Gummer had recommended legislation to expand producer responsibility systems to all waste streams (see letsrecycle.com story).
Yesterday's report, entitled “a light but effective touch”, seeks to portray the Conservatives as the “party of business” by recommending a voluntary approach.
It would mean agreements drawn up by business and brokered by government, rather than “bureaucratic” legislation.
Mr Cameron said: “We have seen over the past decade how ill-thought-out regulation adds unnecessary costs and burdens to business. That's why I'm delighted to back the central argument in this report: that by working together constructively with business we can achieve far more than through top-down, over prescriptive micro-management.”
Yesterday's report was the culmination of work by the Ethical Corporation Institute since March 2006, “to explore a modern responsible business policy for the Conservative Party”.
A Tory government could promote better business practices through using the market and existing legislation. It is understood that one of the key focuses for Mr Norman's steering group will be how businesses can reduce the waste they generate at source.
Shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth, who was present at the launch yesterday, spoke to the Sustainable Development Conference last week to state his view that the business sector has now recognized the need for environmental action.
He said: “The good news is that the market is on the case. Increasingly, the business community is recognising the opportunities for 'green growth'. Large utility companies have brought renewable power into millions of homes. The decision by M&S just last week to charge for plastic bags was a brave and welcome move and shows that responsible business is playing its part.
“Responsible businesses can see the opportunities created by increasing consumer awareness of the ethical and environmental values attached to what we buy,” Mr Ainsworth said.
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