Suffolk's new Carbon Charter was launched yesterday (Monday 8th March) to support local businesses going green.
The Charter has been developed by the Environment Agency together with Suffolk County Council, and is supported by Suffolk Chamber of Commerce.
With a logo incorporating the distinctive Creating the Greenest County hand, the Charter will provide businesses with a recognised local brand in return for taking steps to reduce their energy consumption.
Following an independent audit, successful companies will receive the Charter for a period of one year at one of three levels (bronze, silver, gold) depending on their achievement and commitment.
Cllr Judy Terry welcomed the new Charter as a valuable support for local businesses, saying: "The challenge of Climate Change is something that we all need to take into account – whether we’re at home or at work. This Charter will allow businesses to show their customers and staff that they are playing their part in creating the Greenest County whilst also making savings.
“Unlike many available environmental charters, this scheme is aimed primarily at small businesses, and its requirements reflect the business’ size and current circumstances. This means that Carbon Charter accreditation is a realistic goal for any Suffolk business”.
According to John Dugmore, chief executive of Suffolk Chamber, the charter accreditation process itself will benefit the business. Speaking at the launch event at IP-City Centre in Ipswich, he said:
“In today's economic climate, controlling and reducing costs are key outcomes for businesses. Reducing the amount of carbon you emit, and obtaining maximum efficiencies from things like your utilities - is one of the quickest and most effective ways to save your business money and deliver your organisation’s goals.
Mr Dugmore referred to a Carbon Trust report, which indicates that climate change has put more than £20billion-worth of brand equity at risk, and he emphasised the benefits to businesses who are environmentally responsible.
“There is an increase in demand for products and services that are environmentally sound, and this in turn means that more and more organisations have stringent requirements for their suppliers to have green credentials, and for them to be able to demonstrate this through such things as a carbon reduction policy”, he said.
Businesses can find out more about the charter, and register for an accreditation pack, at www.greensuffolk.org/charter.
The charter is being trialled as part of the ANSWER Project. ANSWER is a European project, led by Suffolk County Council, that aims to help businesses and communities cut their energy use. It is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg IVB North Sea Programme (www.answerproject.eu).
