77% of businesses say they want to play a greater role in helping the government tackle Britain’s unemployment, mental health and climate crisis, with leaders from Greggs, Greene King, Octopus and Olio urging politicians to remove barriers to collaboration.
Nearly two thirds (64%) of businesses polled by think tank ReGenerate report that they have struggled to connect or partner with the government on big social or environmental issues. This figure rises to 68% for micro businesses, which represent 21% of the total number of UK businesses. Meanwhile, over four in five (84%) agree the government should be doing more to support UK businesses to innovate and scale solutions to the UK’s biggest social and environmental challenges.
The report argues that businesses are uniquely placed to tackle the UK’s biggest social and environmental challenges and could lend significant support to the government’s agenda.
Ed Boyd, Co-Founder and CEO of ReGenerate commented: “Businesses across the UK are already delivering powerful, profitable solutions to national challenges; whether it’s creating jobs for underserved communities, decarbonising supply chains, or supporting families through the cost-of-living crisis.
“They’re doing this, however, despite the system, not because of it. A more joined-up approach from the government could unlock massive potential for positive impact.”
Graham Briggs from pub chain Greene King: “There is a huge amount of power in businesses solving key social and environmental challenges. That’s what we’ve set out to do. To help inspire broader societal change we need a clear focal point within government that we can turn to – both for support and to share our expertise of what works and doesn’t work at ground level. ”
The boss of Greggs, Roisin Currie CBE added: ”At Greggs, we are committed to building stronger, healthier communities and have a responsibility to improve the world around us. Through our Fresh Start programme, we have been working with returning citizens from prison for over a decade. By offering sustainable employment opportunities to our returning citizens, Greggs and our local communities benefit greatly. Empowering more businesses to do what we do will help to bring more people into work and help to build stronger and safer communities. “
