There is a growing public perception that companies are ignoring health and environmental concerns in their quest to maximise profit and in doing so they ignore other equally important issues such as environmental concerns and local communities. You only need to watch the news to see another company being fined for destroying the environment or the rainforests to achieve higher profits.

Business such as the co-op offer a real alternative for people concerned with these issues and with businesses that combine a strong ethical dimension in tandem with making profits. With corporate social responsibility the new buzz word, businesses need to have ethical values that are embedded in their company, the way they operate, and seek to make a contribution towards local communities where they are based and around the globe. It’s about giving back to people that are good enough to spend their hard earned money in your shop or on your website.

By supporting and purchasing from green and ethical companies you are not only favouring ethical products, be they fair trade, organic or cruelty free, but you are having an effect on those businesses and brands that operate in an unethical manner. When consumers ‘vote with their wallets’ they are sending a warning to businesses to take their environmental and social responsibilities seriously, otherwise they run the risk of losing customers. If enough people spend their money in the right places, then things will begin to change in this capitalist, profit hungry society that we live in.

A few examples include Microsoft that has started its own foundation to fight aids and Malaria in Africa and now Richard Branson has donated 10 years worth of profit from his Virgin empire to environmental causes. That’s over 1 billion pounds. Marks and Spencers the huge retail chain in the UK recently ran an ethical products campaign and said that this was its most successful ever. Many of the big retail companies are now seeing the benefits of offering a range of ethical goods for sale including ethical trainers, ethical shoes and t-shirts. Many supermarkets in the UK are now becoming greener by installing solar panels, and buying more food locally. Companies are also increasingly using consultants to help them save electricity and improve their environmental policy which is good for both internal morale and externally to shareholders and other stakeholders.

The business of the future should care about the impact of business practices on local communities.

Business philosophy should be based on balancing profit with ethical considerations. Profit is important to all businesses, however this should not be the sole driver for business decisions. Even the oil giant shell has started a foundation to promote ethics and environmental concerns. Some people may see the irony in this!