Little book of change
A useful guide from the Business Resource Efficiency & Waste Programme in the Northwest
Little book of change Ways to take action for the climate The Business Resource EfďŹ ciency & Waste Programme in the Northwest is funded by DEFRA, and in the Northwest is comprised of the following partners:
England’s Northwest is a leader in supporting businesses, organisations and individuals to reduce their impact on climate change and improve overall environmental performance within organisations. This booklet will give you the contacts and tools to enable you to access the support that you need to rise to the challenge, help the planet and save your organisation money. 02
The challenge Time to take action
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Action is vital; in the last half of the 20th Century, carbon emissions increased at twice the rate of the population. Sea levels have risen by 10 – 20 cm in the last 100 years, and glaciers across the globe are retreating. At a regional level, without substantial action to reduce global carbon emissions, damage could cost over £150m. — By 2080 average temperature will increase by 5 degrees — Up to 60% decrease in summer rainfall — Up to 30% increase in winter rainfall Action is being taken by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the BREW partners to tackle the effects of climate change with the implementation of “Rising to the Challenge”, a Climate Change Action Plan for England’s Northwest. The Action Plan will stimulate and measure the progress of the region towards a low carbon economy, preparing it for the challenges of a changing climate and future energy demands, whilst protecting and enhancing our quality of life and environment. The Action Plan’s vision is for a low carbon and well adapted Northwest by 2020.
A copy of the Action Plan can be downloaded from www.nwda.co.uk/climatechange
Get the right advice environmentconnect 04
environmentconnect is the single point of contact for you to harness the environmental advice and best practice available through the BREW partners in the Northwest. environmentconnect will help you save costs and resources and generate new business opportunities. This FREE service is designed to deliver bottom-line business benefits by improving the environmental performance of Northwest companies.
— make savings through energy efficiency — reduce your waste or water bills — identify new business opportunities in the environmental technologies sector
Through environmentconnect, NWDA and government funds have been invested to provide high quality, FREE environmental business support and advice to Northwest businesses. Make sure your company is benefiting.
www.environmentconnect.co.uk
Quit the carbon Carbon management at work 06
The UK’s indigenous oil and gas reserves are in substantial decline and we face the prospect of becoming a net importer of fuel over the coming decade, having enjoyed self-sufficiency in supplies of fossil fuels for centuries. As a result, energy prices may rise, and, as fuel is often sourced from unstable areas, supply may be interrupted. Since 1990 there has been a shift in electricity generation in the UK from more carbon intensive fuels such as coal and oil, to lower carbon fuels, such as gas, nuclear and renewables. The Northwest’s energy sector is both central and vital to our economy; over £5bn in output and £1.2bn in exports is generated and around 53,000 jobs supported.
Five steps to change 1 By turning down the heating by just 1 degree, a saving of 8-10% can be made on the annual heating bill and reduce heating in areas needing less warmth 2 Keep windows closed while heating or air conditioning is on! 3 Most office equipment, including PCs, monitors, faxes and printers will have energy saving features 4 Make use of natural daylight where possible. It costs nothing and can reduce lighting bills by up to 19% 5 Encourage staff to turn off lights whenever and wherever they are not needed. Businesses can save up to 15% on their bills by implementing this simple measure
A helping hand The Carbon Trust is a private company set up in 2001 by government in response to the threat of climate change, with the aim of accelerating the move to a low carbon economy. The company already works successfully with thousands of businesses offering practical help and advice. Businesses with energy bills of more than £50,000 a year can apply for free surveys from Carbon Trust consultants, who can identify energy-saving opportunities. Growing businesses are offered interest-free loans of up to £100,000 to help them invest in energy efficient equipment. www.carbontrust.co.uk ENWORKS is an environmental business support programme funded by the NWDA, which helps thousands of companies in the Northwest increase their competitiveness and reduce their impact on the environment by providing a range of practical business support services. ENWORKS provides resource efficiency business advice and can help your organisation with energy surveys and recommend ways in which to reduce energy consumption. www.ENWORKS.com Envirolink Northwest supports the development of the environmental technologies and services sector in the Northwest. Envirolink Northwest’s Energy Efficiency Directory lists regional suppliers of products and services that will help your organisation to reduce its energy costs. www.envirolinknorthwest.co.uk
By turning down the heating by just 1 degree, a saving of 8-10% can be made on the annual heating bill
Try something new Renewable energy and energy efficiency 08
Microgeneration is the small-scale production of heat and/or electricity from a low carbon source. An Energy Saving Trust study found that microgeneration technologies could provide 30 – 40% of the UK’s electricity needs by 2050. This would help to reduce emissions by 15% a year. Viable technology options include solar, micro-wind, micro-hydro, CHP, heat pumps, fuel cells and biomass. The advantage of microgeneration is that it can be applied on a very small scale, even down to a single household. This means that security and reliability of energy supply can be assured as consumers have independent means of generating their own electricity and heat. Many steps can also be taken by individuals to reduce their carbon footprint and impact on the climate by implementing small changes to everyday living to ensure that energy is used more efficiently and cost-effectively.
Install on-site renewable energy
A helping hand The Carbon Trust can help you tackle climate change impacts from buildings by providing advice and assistance on the use of low carbon design and technologies. www.carbontrust.co.uk The Low Carbon Buildings Programme provides grants for microgeneration technologies to householders, community organisations, schools, the public and not-for-proďŹ t sector, as well as for private businesses. www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk Envirolink Northwest supports the environmental technologies and services sector in the Northwest. Their Microgeneration Directory lists regional suppliers and installers of renewable energy technologies suitable for on-site energy generation. www.envirolinknorthwest.co.uk
Five steps to change 1 Insulate your home, business, school or community centre and insulate lofts 2 Purchase energy efďŹ cient appliances 3 Always switch off monitors when not in use, they account for almost half a computer’s energy use 4 Investigate the viability of installing on-site renewable energy 5 Consider purchasing energy from green tariffs
Making a move Green eet management 10
Car travel is still more prevalent than walking, cycling or taking public transport. As a result, the demand for transport fuel is growing at a much faster rate than for any other fuel. Steps must be taken to reduce the environmental impacts of the journeys that we undertake. The UK has the fastest growing railway system in Europe; it is also constantly improving in terms of reliability. Encouraging more people to choose rail travel over cars would halve the carbon dioxide emissions of each person travelling. Transport accounts for approximately one third of the Northwest region’s energy demand. There is a dire need to move towards low carbon and renewably produced fuels. Biofuels are the most likely answer, as these blend easily with existing petrol and diesel, and can be used in any vehicle. Emissions from air travel are unavoidable. However, carbon offsetting can increase awareness of the environmental impact of travel and the money raised can fund projects that tackle climate change.
Organise events and meetings close to public transport links , such as train stations
A helping hand The Energy Saving Trust is a non-profit organisation that promotes energy saving, funded by government and the private sector. Its goals are to achieve the sustainable use of energy and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, one of the key contributors to climate change. The Energy Saving Trust works to cut greenhouse gases and air pollution from the road transport sector. It promotes cleaner, lower-carbon vehicles and fuels, eco-friendly driving techniques and low-carbon transport alternatives. www.est.org.uk
Five steps to change 1 Encourage greater use of video and tele-conferencing 2 Indicate public transport links on your office location map 3 Organise meetings and events in close proximity to public transport 4 Contact the Energy Saving Trust for a fleet management audit 5 Consider setting up a car-share scheme at your place of work
Stick to the Rules Resource efficiency and legislative compliance
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Many UK businesses do not use their resources as efficiently as they might, wasting up to as much as half of their resources. Even the construction sector, at 90% resource efficient, effectively wastes one house in every ten built. Inefficient use of resources reduces competitiveness, eats up primary resources, and creates huge waste management challenges. To be environmentally and financially sustainable and successful, businesses need to make better use of their resources and minimise waste. Legislative compliance is a major issue for companies, with strict rules on the management of wastes and environmental controls. These controls impact not only on the environment but also on the health and safety of employees.
Reduce water consumption to save resources and lower costs
A helping hand ENWORKS is a unique business support programme charged with improving business competitiveness and environmental performance throughout the Northwest. By working in partnership with existing and emerging organisations, ENWORKS is improving the performance of SMEs in the region by maximising environmental opportunities and reducing environmental risk. www.ENWORKS.com Envirowise offers UK businesses free, independent, confidential advice and support on practical ways to increase profits, minimise waste and reduce environmental impact. Tailored advice is available through on-site visits and a free helpline. www.envirowise.gov.uk NetRegs, an Environment Agency initiative, provides free environmental guidance for small businesses in the UK. NetRegs will illustrate what is needed to comply with environmental legislation and protect the environment. NetRegs can help save businesses money by advising on ways to use resources more efficiently. www.netregs.gov.uk
Five steps to change 1 Ensure compliance with all relevant environmental legislation see NetRegs 2 Use raw materials more efficiently to realise substantial savings 3 Procure and specify sustainable and recycled content products 4 Reduce water consumption to save resources and lower costs 5 Re-use materials on-site where possible
Stick to the Rules Continued
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Envirolink Northwest provides support to the waste management and recycling sector. Envirolink Northwest is also able to provide bespoke advice on sourcing sustainable and recycled content products, goods and materials through its regional market development programme for recyclable materials. The Waste and Recycling Directory lists regional waste management, recycling and technology service businesses. www.envirolinknorthwest.co.uk WRAP works in partnership to encourage and enable businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often. This helps to minimise landfill, reduce carbon emissions and improve our environment. WRAP can help businesses with their expansion plans through a range of business support services targeted at the recycling/reprocessing sector. This support is tailored to the need of the individual business and covers four key areas: investment, innovation, expertise and management. www.wrap.org.uk The mertonrule.org.uk is a website which features the latest information about the Merton Rule and other news relating to renewable energy, climate change, and planning policies. www.themertonrule.org.uk The Town and Country Planning Association campaigns for the reform of the UK’s planning system and have produced a report on ‘Planning for Sustainable Energy’. www.tcpa.org.uk
The National Industrial Symbiosis Programme is a businessled initiative that facilitates links between industries from different sectors to create sustainable commercial opportunities and improve resource efďŹ ciency. NISP ensures that one company’s waste may become another company’s raw material. www.nisp.org.uk
This guide was produced by the BREW partnership in England’s Northwest. Written by Gill Nowell and Helen Seagrave. Designed by Modern Designers. Printed by Gyroscope using 100% recycled (75% post-consumer) waste paper.