Business Climate Champions

Businesses across the country are being urged to become “Climate Champions” in a new scheme to save millions of pounds worth of wasted energy.

Those that respond will go on a Roll of Honour to show staff and customers that the business really cares about the planet and future generations.

And owners, particularly of small, independent businesses (SMEs), will be reminded that going green can also help them stay out of the red!

The Business Climate Champions initiative is being led by the Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM), working with Impetus Consulting. Funding has been provided by Defra through its Climate Challenge Fund. 

The UK’s SMEs consume around £6 billion of energy every year. About 30% of that is wasted, costing over £1.8 billion.

Under the new scheme, the ATCM is using it’s network of Town & City Centre Managers, who cover over 500  locations across the UK to ask businesses to make a pledge to save at least 25% of their business energy use. 

In return, they will receive formal accreditation as Climate Champions.  Their names will be added to the official Roll of Honour and they will be entitled to use a logo that displays the business’s commitment to the cause.

Simon Quin, ATCM Chief Executive, said: “Individual SMEs may not be big energy users but with energy prices constantly on the rise, fuel bills are becoming a more significant overhead for everyone. 

“There are lots of inexpensive steps that every business can take to cut its bills. We want to get across the idea that going green can help you stay out of the red. By working together, we can really make a difference.”

Louise Quarrell, managing the project on behalf of Impetus Consulting Ltd, added: “As well as making financial sense, cutting carbon emissions will also help the environment. Carbon emissions cause climate change, which Tony Blair has said is ‘the biggest threat we face’. SMEs are responsible for around 10.5 million tons of carbon dioxide every year.”

Businesses can make their pledge online at the scheme’s website www.businessclimatechampions.org.  It also provides information about the effects of climate change and what businesses can do to cut their energy use.