Sustainable Business Series

The Chamber’s Sustainable Business Series aims to share knowledge, best practice and guidance to enable local firms to reduce their environmental impact.

Key Information

The business community is increasingly understanding the strategic imperative and competitive advantages that come with embedding environmental sustainability into their operations, products and services.

Resources

Targets

Businesses across the region will be required to reduce their activity in line with local, regional and national targets. For example, Birmingham City Council is committed to achieving net zero by 2030 and the West Midlands Combined Authority aims to achieve this by 2041, with a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions every five years from 2021. On a national scale, the UK economy is legally bound to achieve net zero by 2050.

UN Climate Change Conference

The United Nations Climate Change Conference brings together parties from across the world to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

For COP26, the 26th summit, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce produced a range of content to brief businesses on the key outcomes, including blogs on clean energy transitions and nature regeneration, and a video on what the outcomes mean for businesses.

 

Business Support

Given the ongoing uncertainty of the current economic climate, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce is here to support local firms by signposting key business support measures, gathering intelligence, and lobbying regional and national stakeholders.

 

Sustainability Initiatives

As well as the above, there are various initiatives available to provide further guidance, information and best practice to progress your environmental performance and improve the environmental management of your business.

EcoPledge

The Royal Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce is leading the EcoPledge initiative, which details the small changes that businesses can make to reduce their environmental impact, and impact their bottom line.

West Midlands Net Zero Business Pledge

Sustainability West Midlands are administering the West Midlands Net Zero Pledge and are supporting organisations across the 18 local authority areas of the WMCA towards their pledge.

SME Climate Hub

The SME Climate Hub is a national initiative specifically for SMEs, providing them with various tools, resources and support to manage their transition to net zero.

Zero Carbon Business

Zero Carbon Business is a partnership between business organisations, energy networks and professional bodies to give small businesses the advice they need to reduce their carbon emissions.

 

Insights

 

The Sustainable Business Series 2023

The aim of the campaign is to inform businesses about sustainability and Net-Zero targets, as well as encouraging them to take action through the sharing of member knowledge, best practice and guidance.

The Series began in September 2021, with four themed weeks focusing on energy, transport, the circular economy, and sustainable business management. The Campaign returned in 2022 focusing on 4 weekly themes including: Lowering your Carbon Footprint, Developing Low Carbon Products and Services, Decarbonising in key Sectors and Climate Risk and Adaption: The Role of Business.

Why is the SBS important?

Sustainability is becoming more important for businesses across the world as expectations on corporate responsibility increase and transparency becomes more prevalent. For businesses, sustainability means creating long-term value by considering how a given organisation operates in the ecological, social and economic environment, with the idea that doing so creates longevity.

The Sustainable Business Series seeks to help local firms understand the role that they play in progressing to net zero, as well as the opportunities and challenges that may arise from the Net-Zero transition. Through an expansive range of blogs, videos, webinars and podcasts, the Sustainable Business Series offers useful information to businesses interested in adopting a sustainable business approach.

The Sustainable Business Series will return in 2023

The Sustainable Business Series is back! In 2023, the Series contains a series of events and webinars taking place from the end of September and throughout October, culminating with the Sustainable Business Series Conference in November. Additionally, throughout the campaign, the Chambers will be producing podcasts and publishing blog content. This year’s campaign will cover a range of key topics including:

  • Understanding Energy Efficiency
  • Understanding Net Zero
  • Manging your Organisations Waste
  • The Financial Case for Sustainability
  • Sustainable Cities

 

Expression of Interest

Register your interest to sponsor, get involved with or attend the 2023 Sustainable Business Series.

 

Series Sponsors