Leaders share tips on sustainability
Delegates looking to learn more about how businesses can start or continue their journey to net zero heard from a trio of guest speakers at a sustainability breakfast event hosted at Tamworth Castle, by Burton & District, Cannock Chase and Lichfield & Tamworth Chambers of Commerce.
Lichfield & Tamworth division president, Fiona Rouse, managing director of PI-KEM, a scientific research equipment company, shared a wide-ranging discussion with Councillor Paul Turner, leader of Tamworth Borough Council and member of the Staffordshire Council Sustainability Board, Andrew Leech, managing director of electric fleet company Fleet Evolution and Laura Poultney, operations director of Volt-Age, an electric vehicle charging point provider based in Burntwood.
The speakers gave their top tips for businesses looking to improve their sustainability credentials.
Advice included encouraging business to put in place a long-term sustainability strategy, embrace electric car charging stations at offices to improve employee satisfaction and the reputation of the business and ensure access grants available to support that process.
Fiona Rouse said: "It was fantastic to welcome 60 delegates to the Great Hall at Tamworth Castle to share ideas, discuss their challenges on the journey to net zero, hear form the experts and understand how everyone can play a part in becoming more sustainable in business."
Other subjects covered in the discussion included the debate around charging infrastructure locally in Tamworth and across Staffordshire, the importance of busting myths around the access and ease of owning an electric car, how grants and funding can help support the purchase of charging points and the plans local councils across Staffordshire have to help residents and businesses.
Kuran Singh, policy advisor at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: "Many of our members are at the forefront of the sustainability debate and hearing from key stakeholders in Staffirdshire gave delegates a better understanding of the current situation.
"The Chamber will continue to support and advise our members on the sustainability debate with a month of activity as part of the Sustainability Series 2023 starting in October and ending with our keynote conference in November.
"We'd very much encourage the business community to attend the range of webinars, seminars and events."
The event was held to coincide with the Staffordshire County Council, Carbon Bubble Tour, in which a balloon filled with a tonne of carbon gas is visiting districts throughout the county to raise awareness of sustainability and the help the council can provide.
Pictured: Shaun Gray (Ginho Group/Burton Chamber president), Chris Wheeler (Auditel), Laura Pountney (Volt-Age), Paul Turner (Tamworth Borough Council), Andrew Leech (Fleet Evolution) and Fiona Rouse (PI-KEM/Lichfield and Tamworth Chamber president)
