Sustainability is firmly on the agenda for 80% of West of England boardrooms with nearly a third considering it one of their business’s top three priorities, according to an exclusive survey conducted by Bristol executive search firm Moon Consulting and Bristol Business News.
Just 5% are not currently engaged in sustainability activities or do not plan to within the next 12 months, the survey reveals. Some 43% see sustainability as part of their corporate social responsibility policy while 48% believe it helps them reach new customers. 
Moon Consulting and Bristol Business News’ annual South West Board Effectiveness Survey gauges the views of executives and non-executive directors on the boards of a diverse cross-section of businesses across the region.
It took sustainability as its key theme this year to coincide with Bristol’s role as European Green Capital while also gaining insights into businesses’ growth expectations and board skills.
The Government is the main driving force for businesses to act more sustainably through legislation such as landfill taxation, with more than 60% saying this has contributed to their policies.
But half of those taking part in the survey also said being sustainable helped motivate and recruit staff and 37.5% said it helped them achieve better pricing or market share.
Some 59% said it had resulted in them reducing waste and 49% were cutting their energy use. The survey also reveals that 47.5% of boards said they have embedded sustainability in their business practices, although 37.5% addressed the issue on an ad-hoc basis.
The annual survey also takes the pulse of directors on their growth expectations and whether their boards have the right skills.
It reveals that many businesses are looking at 2016 as a year of growth – while 28% expect expansion of more than 10% this year, this figure more than doubles next year. Those predicting growth of between 5% and 10% also more than doubled. Just one respondent expected their business to shrink next year.
In terms of board skills, directors and non-executives are most confident about the financial, strategic and leadership capabilities of their boards, with half of respondents rating them excellent in this respect.
There was a worrying gap in sales and marketing, with 40% of respondents saying their boards needed improvement. The development of new products, markets and customers are keys to growth, so a lack of leadership in this area could adversely affect business ambitions. 40% of directors doubted their board’s sustainability skills, showing a lack of confidence at the highest level.
Moon Consulting director Vanessa Moon said: “We are delighted to partner with Bristol Business News once again to gain fascinating insights into the attitudes and skills of boards across the region.
“These trends show the South West is confident about the future and but may have skill gaps at board level that threatens ability to deliver growth aspirations.”
Bristol Business News Editor Robert Buckland added: “The results of this exclusive survey show that sustainability is gaining traction in boardrooms across the region.
“No business, whatever sector they operate in, can afford to ignore this vital issue so it is very encouraging that it is now a core policy for so many directors.
“The growth expectations are also very encouraging and they indicate that businesses are confident of overcoming any problems linked to a likely rise in interest rates, a slowdown in global markets sparked by China’s problems and uncertainty ahead of the in-out EU referendum.”
