Collingham businessman and entrepreneur Steff Wright calls on King Charles to lead on the environment and sustainability issues politicians don't deliver on

Businessman and entrepreneur Steff Wright has written to King Charles III to call for his leadership on the environment and sustainability issues both hold dear, saying politicians lack the drive and only seem keen on saving their skins.

Mr Wright, who owns Collingham-based Gusto Group, which is that forefront of green and sustainable property development, equated the current crop of politicians in Westminster to the board of Blockbuster Video as the company went to the wall despite an offer of assistance from Netflix.

The former Prince of Wales founded Terra Carta in 2021, to make sustainability the linchpin of the private sector. Gusto Group signed up to charter.

The two are are known to each other as Mr Wright was on the advisory board of the then Prince Charles's Business in the Community initiative representing entrepreneurial small and medium sized companies working alongside Rolls Royce, Toyota, the Co-op and other large companies based in the Midlands region.

He wrote: "As you are aware, whilst there are a rapidly growing number of entrepreneurial businesses and individuals across the Commonwealth who are transitioning to the 2030 vision set out in the Terra Carta, most businesses and individuals are not yet on that journey.

"This vision needs to be the focus of our government and all governments across the Commonwealth.

"Our once great country needs a new direction. The markets have made it abundantly clear that they will not support a vision based on corporate greed, neither will they support a vision based on inflexible trade union power. We need our politicians to come together across party lines embracing the Terra Carta and working collaboratively to implement the fiscal measures needed to deliver a clearly defined future.

"Our country is currently being run in the same way as the old Blockbuster video rental business just before it collapsed. They had a failed business model, but the bosses had no vision for a different model even though Netflix had walked into their boardroom and presented their business plan to them. Like Blockbuster, our political leaders, and the global corporate lobbyists who control them, appear to be only focussed on saving their positions and continuing with business as usual.

"Our world in 2030 will either be one of wars based on ecological and economic collapse if we continue with business as usual, or one of ecological and economic recovery where health, wellbeing and nature is the overarching focus of our economic activity.

"Over the centuries, our Kings and Queens have changed the course of the future with their brave actions. At this critical point in time, your leadership can be the catalyst for positive change for the betterment of human survival on our planet.

"To continue with the Blockbuster analogy, our current MPs appear incapable of understanding that the current business model has failed, and an environmentally sustainable, circular economy is the only way forward. A new global model based on the Terra Carta is the equivalent to the new global Netflix model Blockbuster failed to adopt. We can carry on relying on a fossil fuel economy and try to drive growth though consuming more globally produced goods ignoring the environmental damage that is doing.

"Alternatively, we can decide that in 2030 we want to have different type of society which values planetary and personal health above consumer driven growth.

"It is simple business principal that you need to have a clear vision of what you are aiming to achieve and by what point in time before setting out the financial plan to enable that vision to be achieved. With the Autumn statement due in a couple of weeks’ time and COP 27 launching, now is the time for clarity as to which path we want to take.

"I ask you not to allow your voice to be muted by the politicians and their most vocal lobbyists.

"Whilst the principal of the monarch not getting involved in party politics is one which is important, that in no way should silence the important leadership voice you have as head of the Commonwealth and King of the United Kingdom.

"I look forward to your leadership on this critical matter as I am sure the vast majority of the 2.5 billion citizens of the Commonwealth."