This week Horticulture Week senior reporter Rachael Forsyth speaks to Marcus Watson of Ground Control.
Watson talks about his journey from working on the glue that holds Boeing aircraft together to the numerous successes he had as managing director at Ground Control including achieving carbon neutrality four years earlier than they expected to.
The fight against climate change is one of Watson's key professional and personal passions and is something he sees as a logical extension of the work of Ground Control in the environment. He talks about the Evergreen Fund which dedicates 5% of Ground Control’s annual net profits to a £5m Impact Venture Fund which looks to invest in ventures focussed on carbon reduction, sustainability and environmental protection.
Despite admitting some disappointment in COP26, he remains positive and ambitious for Ground Control: "Now we're hoping we can reach net zero as a business by 2025." and he continues to "bang the drum" with his work on the Climate change committee for the CBI.
"I have some reasons to be optimistic - the reasons I'm hanging my optimistic coat on is there is a continued race to the top ... perhaps at a lower rate than before COP26 but nonetheless I am seeing that continue.
He adds: "businesses that put sustainablility and the environment front and centre of what they're about actually grow better" citing trends such as a reduction in fossil fuel investment.
Watson also discusses biodiversity loss and how agriculture interacts with that on a global level.
And of course Watson brings his ideals to the fore in choosing a Desert Island Plant.
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