I n t erv i ew B u si n ess
AN INTERVIEW WITH
LIZ WILLIAMS, HTA
A
t the end of February this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (otherwise known as the IPCC), released its latest assessment report on the state of the global environment. The contents of the report were hardly what you’d call optimistic, revealing a situation in which the world is now facing “unavoidable multiple climate hazards,” with global warming anticipated at around 1.5 centigrade over the next 20 years. A subsequent press release announcing the ndin s su ed the situation up in
Human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world www.gardencentreretail.com
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Sustainability continues to be a top priority, and the Horticultural Trade Association is working hard to help retailers appeal to conscious consumers
this way: “Human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world.” Taking the report at its word – and why wouldn’t we? – it’s clear that something needs to be done and done quickly, particularly in the realm of human beings’ habitual behaviour. One key area in relation to this has to be our buying habits and the ways in which we consume. With that in mind, in this issue’s Big Interview, we’re going to focus on the efforts being made by an increasing number of businesses within the horticulture industry to lessen the environmental impact of their activities. Rather than a garden centre or grower, however, this time around we’ll be talking to the Horticultural Trade Association’s sustainability executive Liz Williams. For those who don’t know, the HTA currently runs a variety of initiatives in this area, with the intention both of raising environmental awareness amongst its members while at the same time
facilitating them to change their business in a systematic, strategic way. The latest addition to its ‘sustainability roadmap’ is its Reference Sites scheme, which got off the ground in March. The fight against carbon Speaking in a press release at the time, a spokesperson for the HTA described the Sustainability Reference Sites as a way for members to share best practice, with the eventual aim of building what the statement referred to as a “supportive community.” Current ‘reference’ businesses include Hillier Nurseries, The Barton Grange Group, The Gardens Group, and New Wood Trees. The statement continued: “Sustainability Reference Sites are HTA member businesses who are already doing considerable work in terms of implementing positive change and embedding sustainability into their business plans. The reference sites are ready to share their knowledge among HTA members and to champion the industry to those outside of it.”
Garden Centre Retail April/May 2022
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