Tomorrow, I’ll be taking part in the CBI’s Great Business Debate, along with Mark Price, Managing Director of Waitrose, Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of RSA, Lady Barbara Judge, Chair of the Institute of Directors, and Paul Drechsler, President of the CBI.  The topic – can business be profitable and responsible? – is one I feel particularly strongly about.

As Chairman of Sky, and as a board member since 2004, I’ve sought to ensure that acting responsibly, and being successful commercially, go hand in hand. More than 21 million customers choose to do business with Sky. They have high expectations of us, trusting us to do the right thing. Our high ethical, social and environmental standards are essential to us maintaining that trust, and underpin the decisions we make every day.  Indeed, they are inherent in our “Believe in Better” ethos.

There are a number of ways we can demonstrate this. The first is our positive contribution. We use our talents to produce great TV, while at the same time helping to fund the creative industries and sport along the way. Sky makes an important contribution to all five countries in which it operates. It acts as a powerhouse for the creative industries, supporting 128,000 jobs across the five territories and investing £4.9 billion in quality content. In addition, it contributes £7.6 billion to GDP, and generates £3.4 billion in tax revenues. 

The second is making sure we conduct our business responsibly. That’s helping families to protect their children online, continually reducing our impact on the environment (so far, a 38 per cent reduction in emissions, against a 50 per cent target by 2020) or partnering with WWF on Sky Rainforest Rescue, which I’m so proud to say has helped save a billion trees in the Amazon.

And lastly, we can inspire action through Sky Academy, a set of initiatives designed to unlock the potential in one million young people by 2020, or our partnership with British Cycling and Team Sky. Sky Academy has so far used the power of TV, creativity and sport to help more than 250,000 young people build practical skills and experience. 1.7 million more people are now on their bikes thanks to our cycling partnerships.

None of these things are add-ons – they are much part of our purpose as providing great entertainment for families. I believe business can be profitable and responsible. You can register and sign up to watch a webcast of the debate live on the 9th December at 9am, to find out what my peers think. I will also share some of the highlights on this blog.