Council offers free help for small businesses on the road to sustainability
Cool Shropshire & Telford, a new £20,000 initiative to aid small businesses in making the move towards improving sustainability, is being launched in partnership with Shropshire Council.
The funding will enable businesses to have support free at the point of access.
The council’s climate team has partnered with Telford & Wrekin Council and Shropshire-based environmental consultants E4environment Ltd to steer Shropshire’s SMEs and micro businesses towards understanding and reducing their environmental impact. Local climate charity Zero Carbon Shropshire has also been influential in the development of the scheme.
The initiative will allow up to 1,000 firms access to expertise which will help them future-proof their businesses by measuring their carbon footprint and setting achievable goals and strategies to help improve sustainability.
Cool Shropshire & Telford will give members:
Potential to save money by becoming more energy and resource efficient
Increased resilience against supply chain shocks and the effects of climate change
A sense of community through working collectively to make a significant difference
Enhanced brand reputation by showing concern for the environment.
Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for climate change, natural assets and the green economy, said: “Climate change is having a real effect on the way we all choose to live and work.
“It is increasingly important for business to take this into account when they are developing their corporate plans, but for SMEs and micro-businesses it can seem daunting and sometimes unaffordable.
“Cool Shropshire & Telford will give members the opportunity to address long-term challenges of climate change by developing a green strategy, which will allow them to set achievable realistic sustainability targets and satisfy legislative requirements and adding value for stakeholders.”
The scheme is powered by E4environment Ltd’s supply chain sustainability software Kanopi.
Deb Cairns, director of E4environment, added: “The support provided by Cool Shropshire & Telford is tailored to micro businesses and SMEs based in the county.
“We have aligned Cool Shropshire & Telford with the overarching carbon targets and environmental goals of the council and within the Kanopi platform there will be guidance, tools, and grant information linked specifically to Shropshire Council’s and Telford & Wrekin Council’s sustainability initiatives.
“Also, while we’re encouraging all the members to calculate their carbon, the guidance on how to do this is tailored to meet the needs of the scheme’s qualifying firms. For example, there is advice on completing a carbon footprint if you’re an SME, if your staff mostly work at home, if you’re a service versus a manufacturing business etc.”
To pre-register your interest in Cool Shropshire & Telford, visit www.e4environment.co.uk/blog/coolshropshireandtelford
