Climate change: Evidence shows that our planet is warming up. The Paris Agreement is the UK’s legal target to achieve net zero by 2050 – businesses all over Hertfordshire and Essex and throughout the UK are collectively on this journey together – the first step: create a plan. Embedding that plan and utilising your business’ net zero efficiencies and educating your people will drive a positive change.

Green Business Choices
HB Accountants are making greener business choices including installing energy saving light bulbs, switching to electric vehicles, car sharing to work, recycling and choosing sustainable stationery for example, to help reduce our carbon footprint.

We also plant a trees! In partnership with the National Trust, we plant a tree for every new client who engages with us. This started our conversation on how habitat fragmentation is impacting on our local wildlife.

This summer, we sent Vicki, our Office & Marketing Manager (and secret bee lover) to embark on a Beekeeping course with Bishop’s Stortford BeeKeepers to learn more about these amazing insects.

We asked Vicki to tell us about her Beekeeping course
“What a fabulous collctive of people I met, with such a wealth of knowledge. The big takeaway, (apart from the honey which I had the opportunity to extract) is that keeping bees is a life choice and never just a hobby.

These little creatures have been vital to humans and their contribution to the eco system is paramount. If bees were to disappear, our whole agricultural system could collapse. Bees are crucial to our economy too – Friends of the Earth have blogged that without bees, it could cost UK farmers £1.8 billion a year to pollinate our crops. In a world without bees, our food would cost a lot more to produce and our economy would suffer.

The WWF have reported that bees in the East of England are already feeling the negative effects of climate change. Loss of habitat and weather extremes are two driving factors in the demise of bee colonies and beekeepers from all over the UK work hard to look after, protect and nuture their bees.

I’ve always been fond of bees but I have never given much thought to the honey that I spread on my toast, which these wonderful insects produce. One of the highlights of the beekeeping course, was being given the opportunity get hands on a real frame (out of the hive, no bees attached), uncapping the honey (removing the wax keeping the honey in the cell) and watching the honey melt out… it was mesmorising to watch and a privilidge to take part in.

Facts you might not know about bees

• Beekeepers can tell the mood of their bees from the sound of the hive: Bees have a differing buzz depending on whether they are a happy colony or a frustrated colony
• Honey bees are the only inspect species that produce food consumed by humans
• A queen bee can live for upto 5 years
• Honey has been used throughout history as a dressing for wounds and a first aid treatment for burns and cuts due to its antispetic properties
• Honey has long been used as a beauty treatment due to its ability to attract and retain moisture
• Honey bees are taught how to make honey by older bees in the colony
• Honey bees have a sense of smell which is more powerful than a dog and can be trained to locate buried land minds
• It is said that beekeeping dates back at least 4.5k years and is the second oldest profession
• In ancient Egypt, taxes could be paid with honey!

If you are interested in learning more about beekeeping – feel free to get in touch with Vicki or visit the Bishop’s Stortford BeeKeepers website.

HB understand that climate change is such an important conversation (and not just to protect our local bees of course). Changes in climate and extreme weather events are already affecting nature and people globally and we all need to take action”

If you are interested in climate change, look out for the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, hosted by the UK in partnership with Italy, will take place from 31st October to 12th November 2021 in the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, UK.

We are here to help support and grow your business by giving you access to experienced accountants and useful information no matter your business size or sector.

Please feel free to contact the team on 01992 444466. We’re accountants for business and we’re here to help you grow.