5 minute read
Environment
environment Cleaning up our environment
Across the world there’s a major drive to reduce the global carbon footprint. The idea is that if everyone does their bit to green up the environment, all of those small actions – recycling old bottles, using low-emission lighting, sourcing recycled materials – will add up to have a huge positive impact on the fight against climate change.
Locally, Hounslow Chamber of Commerce and West London Local Chambers are working with businesses to see how they could improve their environmental credentials. Last October, several companies attended the Chamber’s clean air webinar, which focused on what could be done to reduce road congestion in London and the resulting air pollution that could harm public health and the environment.
The attendees discussed a range of options, such as encouraging employees to cycle to work, use a greener motor vehicle and make efforts to improve air quality in their workplaces.
Development specialist and Chamber member, Meld Energy was one of the webinar speakers and was founded on improving its businesses sustainability credentials. The company is passionate about enabling the path to net zero where greenhouse gas production is matched or bettered by its removal from the atmosphere.
Meld Energy founder Chris Smith says: “As a net zero consultancy and developer, we have to practice what we preach. We’re a new business and have never had any office space so we all work from home. Each team member is energy-conscious, has smart technology in the home and has energy contracts with green suppliers. Travel is kept to a minimum through the use of media calls and where travel is required, we prefer rail. The team has also started transitioning to electric vehicles when we need to travel by road.
“Of much bigger impact though, is what we do with our clients and partners. Our mission is to deliver scalable net zero energy solutions that generate commercial value and social benefits through clean air, lower costs and improved environment for all. This means that we work with clients, particularly those in the public sector, to do the best they can with the assets they have – improving building efficiency, building low-carbon heat and power schemes and delivering the transition to lowcarbon transportation through the provision of infrastructure. Our view is that we all have a part to play and by working with our clients and partners we can deliver a cleaner, greener and healthier world for us all.”
Some companies are capitalising on the green energy boom. Spark Moto has built its business around the provision of 100% electric mopeds, scooters and motorcycles made by established brand names such as Zero, NIU, Super Soco and Sur-Ron. Spark sells 25 different models and operates a fleet of ten 100% electric demonstrators – more than any other motorcycle dealer within the London and M25 area.
Conor O’Broin, one of the founding directors of Spark Moto, says that the low-emission, low-cost advantages of electric bikes and scooters make them an attractive proposition for would-be buyers.
He says: “Electric motorcycles cost very little to run – from under 1p per mile in electricity costs. There’s no road tax to pay and you only pay 5% VAT on fuel (electricity). Upfront costs are generally higher than those associated with a standard bike, but if you own an electric model you can break even within as little as two years, with substantial savings thereafter.
“With just two or three moving parts between the throttle and the back wheel, electric motorcycles have very little to go wrong or maintain. As they’re electric they have no tailpipe emissions – so no pollution, no direct CO2 and these machines move through spaces with little noise.
Sustainability in modern business
By Chamber member, Dan Rice of digital and branding partnership Hay+Rice
Did you know that one Google search uses enough electricity to power a light bulb for about 100 seconds? It’d be easy to wrongly assume that online business has a squeaky-clean efficiency rating, and with more businesses focusing their operations on the digital realm, it’s more important than ever to be aware of how this can impact the environment.
Hounslow Chamber of Commerce and West London Chambers have now switched its website to another hosting location, one that’s driven by high-speed servers powered 100% by renewable energy. This process has been managed by Hay+Rice; we’ve provided support and hosting for the existing Hounslow Chamber and West London Chambers website for the last three years. Sustainable choices have been a cornerstone of Hay+Rice’s recent re-shaping, following research into the impacts of the digital world on the environment and the positive influence that well-informed choices can have, as online traffic continues to grow exponentially.
During 2018, data centres (roughly speaking, where servers are located) emitted as much CO2 as the commercial airline industry and gobbled up 1% of global electricity demand – 205TWh (terawatt hours). This number is expected to grow to as much as 8000TWh by 2030. It’s therefore clear that eco-conscious data centres should be supported when we vote with our wallets, and businesses need to be made aware of the impacts of their choices.
The Chamber’s website will continue to grow in its new green location and we’d encourage all other businesses to do the same. Working through digital agencies such as Hay+Rice ensures that finding high-speed and secure hosting options becomes affordable. The agency’s flexible approach to selecting service providers means that the most appropriate solutions are identified, and the technology is managed for you.
Aside from our work with the Chamber, our portfolio covers a wide range of businesses across many industries. Our new website touches on some of our more recent work, from designing brands for boutique businesses to new websites and ongoing support for councils and larger organisations.
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