9th July 2010
Bradford Council, Bradford Ibis Hotel and Hallmark Cards have all signed up to a district climate change pledge, as part of their efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
The pledge is aimed at getting commitments from local businesses to tackle climate change. This can be anything from raising awareness with their staff and clients/customers to purchasing supplies that are friendly on the environment, or even reducing their energy consumption.
The pledge is being funded by an environment partnership made up of Bradford Council, University of Bradford, Incommunities and NHS Bradford and Airedale. It will enable members to share good practice on what organisations are doing (irrespective of size or sector), across the district, to tackle climate change. It will also help members to identify areas where they can support businesses and show where progress is being made in reducing emissions.
A new energy efficiency project will provide free energy audits and action plans to those small and medium-sized Enterprises that sign up to the climate change pledge. This support will help reduce business energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to meeting the district’s carbon reduction target.
Any non-manufacturing business in the Bradford district with an annual energy spend of £50,000 or less, will be eligible for the audit.
Councillor Khaliq, environment portfolio holder at Bradford Council, said: ‘Local business can really make a difference in the district over the next ten years. The council has pledged that by 2020, we will reduce our overall use of energy supplies and make changes that will result in a 20 per cent cut in our carbon emissions. It’s about making small steps that lead to big change and we encourage other businesses in our area to make a commitment on the climate change pledge website in return for free support, including the free energy audits and energy reduction action plans.’
Energy Help is carrying out the audits on behalf of the partnership. Simon Tao from Energy Help said: ‘Small businesses have, until now, found it difficult to obtain good quality energy efficiency advice. By acting on the advice we can offer, they could see their energy bills slashed by up to 30 per cent – a welcome relief to the bottom line in the current climate.’
www.bradford.gov.uk/bdp.