What climate change means for your business

Growing businesses are constantly striving for greater productivity, but changing climates will bring additional challenges to raw materials and questions about their environmental credentials. Stephen Sykes, Chamber Low Carbon programme manager, shares his personal thoughts on the issues and what businesses should be considering.

You could not have failed to notice that nearly all the media channels are full of stories about global heating, climate crisis or ecological breakdown and their impacts of late. Ranging from woodland and forest fires, floods, hurricanes and tropical storms and droughts to name but a few. Establishments such as the UK Government have declared a climate emergency, the United Nations held their annual climate summit in September, and my own professional body,  the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) also declared a climate emergency.

Now ordinary businesses are also declaring a climate and environmental emergency, the green energy company, Ecotricity being one of, if not the first to do so. The Chamber Low Carbon Team are currently running a series of Lunch and Learn events on Climate and Environmental Emergency with speakers from the Environment Agency and Electricity North West. where you can hear what preparations these organisations are taking to plan for and cope with more frequent severe weather incidents to prevent and contain floods, alleviate drought conditions and keep the lights on and your businesses working. But whilst organisations like Electricity North West and the Environment Agency are preparing for what scientists predict you too should be considering, if not to declare a climate emergency, you should at least be thinking about how a changing climate and accompanying ecological breakdown is going to impact on your business.

• Will your business model have to change?
• Can you guarantee supplies of raw materials?
• Are your customers questioning your environmental credentials
• Are they asking you to reduce packaging or change from single use plastics to a less harmful alternative due to demands and public pressure?

If these things are keeping you awake at night the Chamber Low Carbon programme can help you in a number of ways. We can offer:

• 1-2-1 onsite energy and resource efficiency advice from out team of expert consultants.
• Grants of 30% up to £25,000 to install low carbon technologies, energy efficiency measures, onsite renewable energy generation equipment.
• If you have a low carbon technology idea our consultants can work with you to help bring your idea to fruition.
• If you are a low carbon solution provider we can help promote and grow your business
• We also have our Green Rose programme to offer, where over a 6 month period we can give you all the tools, techniques and guidance to implement an environmental management system meeting the requirements of ISO 14001, help you to reduce your carbon footprint, save money and align your business strategies with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Agenda for 2030 which the UK Government is signed up and committed to.

If you want to find out how you too can declare a climate emergency or take practical action to future proof your business call the Chamber Low Carbon Team on 01254 356 487 or email info@chamberlowcarbon.co.uk

The Chamber Low Carbon programme is available through Boost. To start your growth conversation, call 0800 488 0057 or click here.