New programme to help local businesses embrace sustainability
Tuesday, 20 July 2021
We're providing funding to The Green Business Network to help businesses manage overall environmental impact and have a sound knowledge of a range of sustainability-related issues.
The Green Business Network (GBN) is a membership organisation and charity, set up over 25 years ago. It aims is to support businesses to reduce their impact on the environment through various support programmes, including business networking, webinars, ISO 14001 implementation, green advice and signposting.
The Council is supporting GBN to set up a new programme – Green Connectors, which is a referral network for providers of green products and services. This network aims to increase business for green solution providers by teaching them how to refer each other to their clients.
GBN brings together like‐minded businesses to help each other reduce energy and water consumption, eliminate waste, design products more sustainably, increase biodiversity on‐site, manage impacts, and put environmental issues at the heart of decision making for businesses as well as supporting them to reduce their liabilities by understanding their legal obligations.
Central Bedfordshire’s 2050 Vision brings together the Council’s ambitious goals around inclusivity, prosperity, and sustainability. Central Bedfordshire’s unique location in one of the UK’s most important growth areas supports the Council’s drive for innovation and ambition to enable people to live more prosperously whilst retaining and protecting our special landscape. The Economic Strategy which sits closely together with the Council’s Sustainability Plan, is centred on the notion of building local prosperity for communities and ensuring residents and businesses share in the benefits of economic growth.
Executive Member for Planning and Regeneration, Councillor Kevin Collins said:
The world is in the midst of a global climate crisis, one that is impossible to ignore, and we know that even the most ethical business operations affect the local environment. A clear shift in the business world indicates that many companies are choosing to be more conscious about the environment, relating to their increasingly environmentally conscious consumer, as well as ensuring their legal obligations are met. I would encourage all businesses to take up this opportunity to access free support from the Green Business Network whilst its available, courtesy of the Council.
Executive Member for Sustainability and Transformation, Councillor Steven Dixon said:
The Green Business Network brings together like-minded businesses, all wanting to reduce their impact on the environment. We want to be able to support businesses to be able to put environmental issues at the heart of decision making for a sustainable future. I urge businesses who wish to take up this offer not to hesitate.
Green Business Network Manager, James Varley said:
We are delighted to be working in partnership with Central Bedfordshire to help businesses make a sustainable recovery. It’s more important than ever that we move towards a green local economy and the Network is ready to support businesses in the local area.