On October 4 the See Summit is taking place. Everyone within the optical community: optical assistants, manufacturers, optometrists, lab technicians, business owners and dispensing opticians, are all invited to come together to work collaboratively on sustainability.
With the government outlining its strategy for a net zero target for carbon emissions for all businesses by 2050, Nick Bridge, the Foreign Secretary’s special representative for climate change, will speak at See Summit about how to deliver a greener, carbon-neutral society.
Sustainability is meeting your own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. The change needed may feel daunting but, at the event, we hope to inspire everyone to change by sharing good practice and providing practical advice.
At the summit, we will also be launching a new sustainability self-assessment tool tailored to the optical world to help everyone get started. This will allow you to look at quick wins, such as switching to a more environmentally friendly energy supplier and develop longer term plans, which may take more investment. Sustainability is a journey not a destination.
The See Summit is a fast-paced online event to allow as many people to take part as possible as well as reducing the event’s environmental impact. It takes place from 7-8.30pm and could be the most important hour-and-a-half you invest in the planet’s long-term future.
We hope this event will be the first of many, where we can focus on each aspect of sustainability in turn, sharing good practice and knowledge.
This is just the first step of our journey. Visit the ABDO website (abdo.org.uk) to find out more and sign up for the event.
Jo Holmes, president of ABDO