£400 Million A Year Savings Through Carbon Footprint Reduction For UK SMEs
Carbon Trust Standard launches free guide helping growing businesses measure, manage and reducing carbon emissions and energy costs
UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could collectively save nearly £400 million per year in energy costs, and over 2.5 million tonnes of C02e1, by reducing their carbon footprint and certifying their efforts under the Carbon Trust Standard. The Carbon Trust Standard SME online certification is the only tool designed specifically to help small business’ certify their carbon footprint reductions. Harry Morrison, General Manager, the Carbon Trust Standard, said: The new Carbon Trust Standard guide provides a range of information to enable growing businesses to save cash and increase efficiency by measuring, managing and reducing their carbon, and to boost their reputations by becoming a Carbon Trust Standard bearer. Aberdeen-based maintenance and cleaning chemicals supplier, FIS Chemicals Ltd, is one of the most recent SMEs to certify its operations under the Carbon Trust Standard; and to cut its carbon footprint by 3%. Dr Tom Cummings, Managing Director, FIS Chemicals, said: The Carbon Trust guide is being welcomed by the Prince’s Mayday Network, a collaboration of businesses taking action on climate change and resource depletion by working together to seek out and promote the best solutions to major environmental challenges. 1 Based on the 194,575 UK SMEs with between 10-249 employees. Department for Business Innovation & Skills http://stats.bis.gov.uk/ed/sme/
SMEs using the tool have, on average, cut their energy costs by £2,000 per year, and their carbon footprints by 13 tonnes CO2e2.
“Small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of the UK economy, and reducing their collective carbon footprint could play a major part in ensuring we meet the UK’s target to reduce carbon emissions by 34% by 2020. What you can measure, you can reduce, so we believe there’s a major opportunity for every business to cut costs and carbon by taking action and achieving certification.”
Recognising the key role that UK SMEs play in meeting the UK’s carbon emission targets, and achieving green growth for the UK economy, the Carbon Trust Standard today launched a free online guide to help growing business’ cut energy costs and carbon. The Growing Business’ Guide to Managing Carbon can be downloaded for free at: www.carbontruststandard.com/GrowingBusinessGuide.
Key topics covered in the guide include:
“Gaining certification under the Carbon Trust Standard has certainly helped differentiate our promise to reduce our carbon emissions and to offer our services to a diverse range of markets, most of which now demand evidence that we are a sustainable business. The benefits of submitting to a robust and rigorous process are real and long lasting; both in terms of saving money and enhancing company reputation.”
Katie Webber, Mayday Campaign Director, the Prince’s Mayday Network, said:
“The Prince’s Mayday Network inspires businesses of all sizes to begin their sustainability journey and any way in which we can help SMEs to better manage carbon has our support. This guide from the Carbon Trust Standard is a great way for growing businesses to demystify the benefits of carbon management and take action.”
2 Based on the average annual energy and carbon savings of the SMEs which have been achieved using the Carbon Trust Standard online assessment.
<a href="http://www.carbontrust.co.uk">The Carbon Trust</a> Contact the Carbon Trust Press Office at press@carbontrust.co.uk
SME specific news and facts:
Collectively SMEs account for 45% of UK business energy use (Source: Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform Enterprise Directorate “SMEs in a Low Carbon Economy” January 2009)
Across all sectors, SMEs have the greatest saving potential (20%) compared to larger organisations (8%) (Source: Carbon Trust Research 2009)
Energy costs are forecast to rise by 26% by 2020 (Source: Department of Energy and Climate Change, Annual Energy Statement, July 2010)
Organisations outside of the CRC, the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) and Climate Change Agreements (CCA) account for approximately 25% of all non-domestic emissions (Source: Carbon Trust Research 2009)
About the Carbon Trust Standard
All businesses and organisations, both in the UK and internationally, are eligible to apply for the Carbon Trust Standard including FTSEs, mid caps, SMEs and public sector organisations. Organisations that are awarded the Carbon Trust Standard hold it for a two year period and to maintain the certification they must reapply and demonstrate that they have continued to make year-on-year reductions in their carbon emissions. Organisations wanting information about getting the Carbon Trust Standard can call: 0800 019 1443 or visit www.carbontruststandard.com More than 500 organisations have achieved the Carbon Trust Standard since it was launched in June 2008.The total carbon footprint certified by the Carbon Trust Standard is now nearly 43 million tonnes of CO2e. This is equivalent to over 18% of the total carbon footprint of UK businesses and transport.Through a commitment to continually reduce their carbon footprints, Carbon Trust Standard achievers have collectively cut their emissions by over 3.6 million tonnes of CO2e, and saved the equivalent of over £165 million associated with reductions in gas, electricity and fuel use. Organisations that are certified with the Carbon Trust Standard are listed at www.carbontruststandard.com/pages/current-standard-bearers The Carbon Trust Standard online application process has been designed to enable small and growing businesses to be assessed and certified cost effectively against the requirements of the Carbon Trust Standard. The new service is available to organisations with an energy spend of up to £50,000.
About the Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust is a not-for-profit company with the mission to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy, providing specialist support to business and the public sector to help cut carbon emissions, save energy and commercialise low carbon technologies.
By stimulating low carbon action we contribute to key UK goals of lower carbon emissions, the development of low carbon businesses, increased energy security and associated jobs.
We help to cut carbon emissions now by:
Providing specialist advice and finance to help organisations cut carbon
Setting standards for carbon reduction
We reduce potential future carbon emissions by:
Opening markets for low carbon technologies
Leading industry collaborations to commercialise technologies
Investing in early stage low carbon companies
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