On Tuesday night I hosted the first Wokingham Borough Council Climate Conversation.
This free event invited businesses from across the borough to listen to the thoughts, views and advice of a panel of experts on the subject of decarbonisation, combating climate change and what SMEs can do to reduce their carbon footprint.
I was joined by three excellent and hugely knowledgeable experts: Tom McDonald from Low Carbon Workspaces, Sarah Hitchcox from Anesco and Amira Hashemi from Frasers Property.
Following a really interesting discussion some of the key highlights and insights for me were:
Businesses need to future proof and get ahead of upcoming policies. Starting now means that they can prepare themselves financially rather than facing a big cost later.
Start small then push your organisation to go further.
Crowdsource ideas from your staff, your industry, your supply chain and your customers. Then work with them to create Low Carbon products or services.
Finances don’t need to be a barrier to cutting your carbon footprint. There are grants and funding available for many initiatives that could also save you money in the long run. For example switching to LED or low energy lightbulbs can save you between 50&90% of your lighting cost immediately, and solar installations now pay back in around 7 years (without subsidy) after which time there is a significant cost benefit.
If you want to watch the full Climate Conversation you can view it on You Tube at the link below.
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