The media hype centred around helping the environment is unavoidable. Following the World Economic Forum last month, I began thinking about practical, simple strategies that can help save the environment.

I concluded that there are no easy methods: realistically, saving the environment is difficult. I admit it’s a lot easier to throw my yoghurt pot in the bin rather than separate the plastic from the cardboard and similarly to throw my used post-it in the bin by my desk rather than the recycling bin – but laziness is no excuse.

I’d like to draw your attention to a few great ways in which you can contribute.

1. Give up carbon for lent. Yes, following the ingenious idea from the BBC –see article http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7226488.stm

2. Carbon neutralise your flights – offsetting the carbon used by contributing to worthwhile environmental projects worldwide. We do this for all our business flights, see www.carbonneutral.com

3. Go to www.earthhour.org. Turn off your lights for an hour along with the Couraud team and the rest of the world – imagine the power being saved in just one hour. Go on, get out those smelly candles you had for Christmas 5 years ago…!