Still here and still banging the same drum!

By Rob Robinson Sustainable Business & Circular Economy Programme Manager, KCC

The publication of this special issue of Thinking Business sees me creep past 9 years at Kent County Council. Over this time we’ve co-developed and worked on many local, regional and international projects, with an ever-growing list of forward-thinking organisations that have followed through on their plans. The constant throughout has been understanding underlying needs. This may be the need to realise building efficiencies, effect improvements to operations or simply identifying what opportunities and business cases might be pertinent in each sector scenario.

The case studies page (https://lowcarbonkent.com/case-studies/) on our Low Carbon Kent website covers many such examples. Firms just like yourself, seeking justification to move ahead with one or more projects that they may have been mulling over for a period of time. If you’ve been inspired by any of the ‘greening’ activities or technologies included in this issue then we’d suggest grasping the nettle and looking closely at what could suit your business.

As may already have been covered elsewhere, both the Procurement Act and Simpler Recycling regulations coming into play this Spring have brought the wider context into even sharper focus on the back of a year of tightening supply chain, consumer and staff demands to commit to tangible CSR and/or net zero targets.

Low Carbon Kent remains an accredited IEMA training centre and we are ready and willing to run tailored workshops (https://lowcarbonkent.com/training/) with managers and workforce on how best to identify then move forward with decarbonisation plans and collaboration opportunities.

We’ve also partnered with Thanet District Council and a number of NHS trusts across Kent, using this training to help the region realise its potential with a view to embedding green skills and a just transition to a low carbon economy, please feel free to reach out if you’re interested in joining up too.

You’ll see from two of our featured project strands highlighted herein (Growing Green and United Circles) that there are many themes that overlap into this sphere, the vast majority strongly rooted in common sense and brimming with additionality and co-benefits.

Like Trigger’s broom, the drum we’ve been beating might not be exactly as it was back in 2016, but the rhythm we’re playing to in 2025 should resonate stronger than ever!

Going Green? That’s food and drink to some

Exclusively designed for local horticultural and plant-based food and drink businesses, Growing Green is delivered by Growing Kent & Medway, in partnership with Low Carbon Kent. It follows a successful pilot which ran in 2022. Projects developed by businesses in the pilot programme included machines that turned food waste into new products, a bottle-return reward scheme and rainwater harvesting systems.

Participants in the three-month flexible programme will gain valuable insights into reducing their energy use, optimising resource use, and finding new ways to create value from their waste materials.

Successful applicants can benefit from the following support to help achieve their net-zero goals.

- Accredited training

- Professional membership

- Environmental sustainability assessment and green action plan

- Grant of up to £7,000

- Networking and events

Our accredited training and tailored support are intended to help business owners be more confident and knowledgeable about the environmental impact of their operations.

We envision the skills gained through Growing Green will inspire them to continue their environmental sustainability journey beyond the programme, to not only help make Kent a greener place to live and work but to provide tangible opportunities for commercial benefits, efficiencies and collaboration too.

The programme will train small groups throughout 2025, with the final in-take this June. For further information and to apply for a place, visit the Growing Green website. (https://www.growingkentandmedway.com/growing-green/)

Creating a South East Hub for Circularity

Autumn 2024 saw the launch of two key projects which should bring huge value to our region’s economy and also our communities over the coming years. KCC are one of only a handful of UK partners chosen to participate in any of this round of Horizon Europe research projects. United Circles (https://www.cartif.es/en/start-up-projecteconomy-circular-united-circles-circles-cartif-reduction-wastesymbiosis-industrial-urban/ )is a wide-reaching 4-year programme to enable the creation of a number of innovative business models making the very best use of key resources throughout each region.

The South-East England cluster will act as a local hub for activities, community training and facilitation of industrial symbiosis opportunities across Kent and beyond across a wide array of sectors. This will enable industries in the county to learn lessons across borders and collaborate on solutions and challenges closer to home, namely transforming current waste streams into valuable resources.

We’re also looking to create and support collectives of businesses working in re-use and re-manufacture across the region, with ‘living lab’ opportunities for our communities also developed under another exciting research project REGENYSYS (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/circularity-hub/regenysys).

As you can tell, we’re looking to make the very best of collaboration efforts regionally and internationally to help realise important economic and environmental outcomes through the circular economy linked to the Kent and Medway Economic Framework (https://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council/strategiesand-policies/service-specific-policies/economic-regeneration-andplanning-policies/kent-and-medway-economic-framework).

Please do engage with us through your networks and flag relevant activities with us via lowcarbon@kent.gov.uk