Chamber 's sustainability campaign gains major business backing
A Chamber campaign aiming to help businesses overcome challenges and grasp opportunities associated with net zero carbon emissions requirements is being backed by four major corporations.
Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce will be holding its inaugural Sustainable Business Series: Net Zero campaign alongside Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, from 30 September.
The campaign will open with a webinar dedicated to SMEs and focus on four topics relating to the net zero transition, including energy, transport, circular economy and sustainable business management. It culminates with a Sustainable Business Summit, taking place on 3 November, focusing on how firms can be more sustainable and resilient.
In April, the government legislated that CO2 emissions must fall by 78 per cent by 2035, based on 1990 levels (a reduction of approximately 60 per cent from today 's levels), to accelerate progress to the 2050 net zero target.
Additionally, in anticipation of the UN Climate Change conference (COP26) taking place in November, climate action and associated policies are likely to increase to meet the challenge of the climate crisis.
Chamber patrons and members Aston University, Morgan Sindall, Arup and University of Birmingham have backed the campaign as sponsors.
Mark Smith (pictured), executive director of Business Engagement and Regional Projects at Aston, commented: “We 're delighted to sponsor the GBCC Sustainable Business Series. We 're proud of our green ethos and are home to one of the greenest and most sustainable campuses in the country, an attribute recognised by The Guardian when they awarded us the title 'University of the year 2020 '.
“Further to this, we actively support businesses to become more sustainable through several initiatives, including our Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute, Low Carbon SMEs program, and ASTUTE (Aston Institute of Urban Technology and the Environment). ”
Richard Kirkham, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure 's operations director for the A45 Sprint project, said: “Morgan Sindall Infrastructure and the A45 Sprint team are thrilled to sponsor the Sustainable Business Series: Net Zero. We look forward to helping businesses across the region decarbonise by sharing best practice, guidance and knowledge. ”
Helen Davis, director at Arup, said: “Sustainability is at the heart of our work, and we believe sustainable business models can help all organisations produce tangible economic, environmental, and social benefits, and ultimately build long-term success.
“We have committed to achieving net zero emissions across our entire operations by 2030, and we believe this campaign will help other local businesses reach net zero at a time when they need to make increasingly tough decisions as they tackle financial performance alongside sustainability and net zero targets. ”
Gurmit Kler, director of Business Engagement at the University of Birmingham, said: “Our strong commitment at University of Birmingham to help businesses go greener with the tools, knowledge and resources they need to fulfil their sustainability potential is at the heart of our sponsorship of this new sustainable business initiative from the Chamber.
“The campaign is incredibly timely for both planet and university as we embark on an ambitious goal to reach net zero carbon by 2035. We want to ensure every business can access support on their journey towards sustainability. ”
The Sustainable Business Series: Net Zero is the Chamber 's first campaign on environmental sustainability, which aims to share best practice, guidance and knowledge on the measures businesses can take, and commercial benefits of, progressing to net zero.
The campaign will include five free online webinars taking place from the end of September and throughout October and a Sustainable Business Summit on 3 November. In addition, throughout the campaign, the Chambers will be publishing thought leadership podcasts, videos and blog content.
Find our more on the Sustainable Business Series here.