I passionately believe that the environment should be on all business agendas and that you should gain business benefits for doing so.

This is the International Year of Biodiversity which means every single living thing on this planet. The biodiversity we see today is the fruit of millions of years of evolution, shaped by natural processes and, increasingly, by the influence of humans. It forms the web of life of which we are an integral part and upon which we so fully depend.

Equally as importantly it recognises the connection of living organisms and how every part of this global rich tapestry of life is dependent on each other. And that includes us. This is a living breathing planet and it is our responsibility to keep it that way.

All life is precious and we can’t afford to lose any more valuable species to extinction - when they are gone they are gone! Fossils are beautiful but we should not be trying to create more.

All of us must make a living and that is why businesses are so important. The challenge is to do business in a more environmentally considerate way. I am the patron for Tree Appeal who make it their business to help businesses become green by planting trees on their behalf.

So why trees? Firstly, they are the longest living organism on the planet and will provide homes for countless living creatures for many hundreds of years. Secondly, we desperately need more trees to replace our aging native broad leaved trees. Finally, by planting trees at home we can also help to influence the prevention of deforestation in the rainforests. Trees help to stitch the world back together.

Tree Appeal plants lots of its company sponsored trees in schools, where they not only provide wildlife habitat but also play an integral role in education. By planting in schools, we are growing both trees and minds.

So what’s in it for your business? Well, you get to sleep at night and most importantly you make your customers feel good about doing business with you. Everyone feels good about planting trees that will be making an environmental contribution for many hundreds of years.

I know times are hard but that’s when you need to add real lasting value to your products and services. If you can demonstrate to your customers and staff that you are not just a fair-weather supporter of the environment then it is my opinion that you will reap the business benefits for doing so.

Many thanks for allowing me to get onto my favourite soapbox.

Best wishes,