An Environmental Project lead by NET students at the Academy of St. Francis of Assisi

Here’s news of a great environmental project by Chamber member St Francis of Assisi:

The NET team are a group of enterprising students in years 10 and 11 who are passionate about their local and global community.

Our mission is to help educate local residents, businesses and our families about the impact their individual actions are having on our delicate planet.

Our Aims are to get local residents and school children working together to improve the environment we live in and to develop these projects on a Global scale by educating our partners in the USA and Canada.

Our Projects:

• Save the bees -Wild flowers for local residents
• Change for Change - employees pledge a change and give their small change to fund our projects
• Community Clean-up - in local parks and shared spaces
• NYC Exchange - a carbon neutral visit to a school in NYC to help them develop their projects
• Bin the Bags - providing companies with sustainable products to give out at conferences

What you can do:

• Allow us to come and present Change for Change and make a pledge
• Ask us to source your sustainable promotional items for an event
• Get involved in a community clean-up event
• Sponsor us and send us your logo which we will use in promotional literature

The following companies have shown their support and a HUGE commitment to change:

FACT

Arena Homes

Launch of the Northwest Climate Change Action Plan 2010-2012

Robert Hough, Chair of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), has opened the third annual Climate Change Conference in Manchester, highlighting the region’s key strengths and opportunities for business as part of a low-carbon economy. 

Joined by a number of speakers, the Conference included the launch of the revised Northwest Climate Change Action Plan for 2010 – 2012, refocusing the commitment of the region towards achieving the ultimate goal of a well-adapting and low carbon region.

The conference was a chance to highlight the Climate Change Partnership’s achievements, highlighting the region’s strengths within research and development, skills provision, finance to assist businesses and improving efficiency. 

This high profile event generated a flurry of announcements from the NWDA, including a £4 million investment for a Rural Carbon Challenge Fund through the Rural Development programme for England. This fund will deliver a minimum of 5 large-scale renewable projects in rural areas, providing the training and support to encourage social and micro-enterprises to develop renewable energy projects.

Other speakers included Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive - Energy Saving Trust; Matthew Wright, Managing Director, Asset Management & Delivery - United Utilities and Richard Ellis, Group Head of CSR - Alliance Boots.

Robert Hough, Chairman, Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) said:

“Whilst much has already been achieved in the region, the first Climate Change Action Plan was only the beginning of our response. The emerging Regional Strategy for the Northwest will help to build on the Government’s focus for delivering sustainable economic growth. With a growing emphasis on the challenges and opportunities climate change presents, developing a low carbon economy will be essential in delivering our wider vision for the region’s future.

“The new Climate Change Action Plan provides a clear and robust framework to ensure the Northwest is in the best possible position to contribute to national carbon reduction targets, and increase resilience to climate impacts. Equally as important will be our ability to capitalise on the economic opportunities this brings.”

For further information visit www.nwda.co.uk and www.climatechangenorthwest.co.uk

Merseyside-based Total Glass is the latest Green Business Ambassador to be honoured in the region for its efforts to reduce energy consumption and lower the carbon footprint of its business.

As the only window and door fabricator out of nearly 130 companies to be given the award by Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, the company hopes its environmental credentials will act as an example of good ‘green’ practice to others in the industry.

Reducing waste and energy costs is saving Total Glass around £20,000 a year – representing an annual reduction of 86.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

Launched during the city’s Year of the Environment 2009, the on-going Green Ambassador initiative acknowledges commitment by private and public sector organisations to reduce their environmental impact.

Group Managing Director of Total Glass, Frank Deary is delighted to receive the award, saying it recognises the success of efficiencies implemented through working towards ISO 14001 to ensure the business is run as sustainably as possible.

These include a number of simple energy-saving measures identified in a Carbon Trust survey of the 100,000 sq ft factory and its operations, such as:

• Not leaving computers on standby
• Optimised use of water for flushing toilets
• Lights on motion sensors come on when needed
• Maximising use of natural light/turning off unnecessary lights
• Coffee machine timers provide hot water when needed
• Repairing leaking compressed air lines and reducing pressure – saves over £6,000 a year alone

“Saving energy and reducing wastage makes sound environmental and economic sense,” continues Frank. “Our commitment to sustainable manufacturing operations also covers recycling of waste PVC-U, cardboard and paper. It extends to our products too. Our ‘A’ to ‘C’ Energy-Rated Windows help to lower fuel bills for consumers and use reinforcements made from 100% recycled waste PVC-U.”

Looking to the future, Total Glass is investigating renewable energy options, such as solar and wind turbines on site. “Climate change is a massive issue for us all and businesses, like ours, can play their part in helping to preserve valuable resources. Collectively the industry can start to make a real difference, so we hope our actions will perhaps inspire others to follow our lead,” adds Frank.

“Total Glass is an excellent example of how ‘green’ practices can pay you back in positive ways,” comments Maresa Molloy, Head of Policy and Information at Liverpool Chamber of Commerce. “We will be encouraging more businesses to join our scheme as the region shifts towards a low-carbon economy.”

For more information, contact Total Glass on 0151 549 2339 or visit the website: www.totalglass.com.

BIONIC is a major new project that will address the issues of biofuel supply and use in transport specifically from the perspective of Local Authorities. They will also promote developments in the regional production and use of transport biofuels.

Here’s their latest news from Merseyside:

Public awareness surveys carried out in Liverpool

Merseytravel have undertaken public awareness surveys to establish the level of knowledge and interest in biofuels in Liverpool. The surveys were conducted over two days in the centre of Liverpool.

The surveys indicate that people recognise the environmental benefit of using sustainably produced biofuels but are unsure of where they can buy them, and which ones are suitable for their vehicles. We will use the results to plan key messages for 2010 to help people to get more information about biofuels in our area.

Biofuels and business

Merseytravel have attended several business related events in recent months and have presented to key groups such as the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, the Merseyside Transport Partnership’s Transport Health and Environment Forum and the Lancashire Climate Change Partnership. These groups provide access to key decision makers in the region helping to raise the profile of BIONIC with policy makers.

ECOtravel Bureau website enhanced

Merseytravel have enhanced the successful ECOtravel Bureau website (http://www.ecotravel.org.uk/) to include information on sustainable biofuels and the BIONIC project. The Bureau provides free and impartial information and advice to both the public and business communities on Merseyside with regards to reduced emissions vehicles and fuels. The popularity of the Bureau website has increased every year since its launch in 2004 and is expected to receive in excess of 170,000 hits in 2009. The website is a legacy of CATCH, a part EC funded project which ended in 2005 which demonstrates Merseytravel’s long standing commitment to promoting less environmentally damaging transport options.

BIONIC in the media

Merseytravel are working with local media to promote the work of the project. The local paper, the Liverpool Echo has launched an environmental website and supplement which will include information about BIONIC. The Liverpool Echo is the biggest selling newspaper on Merseyside and has the second largest circulation of any evening newspaper outside London making them an ideal conduit.

For more info, please contact: andrew.leadbetter@merseytravel.gov.uk

Friday 26th  February 2010
09:00 – 16:30

Lancashire County Cricket Club

Envirolink Northwest is holding a FREE workshop and  networking session designed to equip both waste producers  and recycling and waste service providers with the necessary  information required to develop, bid for and manage recycling  and waste contracts.

The event, which is split into two sessions, will aim to:
• provide contract guidance to regional waste producers  looking to procure a recycling and waste service;
• provide bidding guidance to regional recycling and   waste companies and
• provide networking opportunities

Morning session:
There is an increasing understanding that resource effciency in business is crucial to  success. Not only does it have a direct impact on bottom line proftability, but customers  take environmental performance into account when making purchasing decisions and  the regulatory regime includes requirements to avoid wasteful techniques and processes.

Whilst the production of some waste material is inevitable in most business environments, the way it is handled can have an impact on the “resource footprint” of any undertaking.

This session aims to assist producers of waste to:
•  gather information about waste production on their site;
•  monitor the effectiveness of waste management contracts and
•  engage with Recycling and Waste service providers.

Afternoon session:
Commercial waste in the North West makes up nearly a quarter of the waste produced  in the region, although the process of collection is a simple task, opportunities are missed  due to waste contracts not being in place or utilised in the right way. Recycling and waste  companies need to be constantly looking for new business areas to exploit. 

The session  will fully explore the tendering process and provide a step by step guide on how to improve your businesses competiveness to ensure success at all stages of the bidding process.

To book your place, please email A.Glover@envirolinknorthwest.co.uk

The Department of Energy & Climate Change administers applications from developers seeking consent to build national energy infrastructure projects. This includes power stations, onshore and offshore renewables, overhead power lines, onshore underground gas storage and onshore pipelines. They also manage compulsory access arrangements through wayleaves and compulsory purchase orders (CPOs).

Important regulatory changes are being introduced from 1 March 2010:

Due to legislative changes introduced under the Planning Act 2008 the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) will take over responsibility for processing new consent applications for the following nationally significant infrastructure energy projects from 1 March 2010 (consent applications received by DECC before 1 March 2010 will remain with DECC until a decision has been taken):

• Electricity generating stations generating more than 50 megawatts onshore and 100* megawatts offshore
• Electricity lines at or above 132 Kilovolts
• Certain nationally significant gas infrastructure (see the Communities and Local Government: Planning Act 2008[external Link] web page for details)
• Cross country oil and gas pipelines at or above the threshold of 16.093 kilometres/10 miles in length and certain licensed gas transporter pipelines

As a consequence of these regulatory changes developers will in future have to submit applications to the IPC under the Planning Act which replace the provisions of existing legislation.

More details can be found on the DECC website here

Breakfast Briefing
Lancashire County Cricket Ground, Old Trafford.
2nd February 2010. 8:30am – 10:00am.

Northwest companies are invited to attend a FREE breakfast briefing on Renewable Energy opportunities in North America.

The briefing will include…

•  USA and Canadian Fiscal stimulus package presentations on Energy
Opportunities by Dr Andrew Hinton and Kevin Thorpe from UK Trade
& Investment.
•  North West company case study.

Also introductions to…

•  UKTI Renewable Energy Mission, Austin, Texas.
•  Global 2010, Vancouver, Canada.
•  Windpower 2010, Dallas, Texas.
•  UKTI Inward Mission on Canadian Oil Sands Companies by Richard Northcote, UK Trade & Investment.

There will also be a quick overview of UKTI support for companies in North America by Lynn Shaw. Delegates are welcome to stay after the close at 10am for Individual  discussions with speakers and advisors.

For further information contact Jonathan Shaw on 0161 875 2337 jonathan.shaw@uktinorthwest.co.uk

A selection of courses has been developed to respond to the specific needs of your business.

These high value courses are specifically designed to have a positive effect on the bottom line of your organisation.

Environmental Champion
This course is for individuals within an organisation who have concerns for the environment and their interaction with it. This course will give attendees the knowledge, skills and confidence to tackle environmental issues such as energy management, waste reduction, pollution control, transport issues and water use in the workplace. The course focuses on the benefits of reducing the environmental impact of an organisation and how all individuals can contribute towards this.     

Environmental Awareness
This course is for Managers or Employers who are responsible for developing and implementing an organisation’s environmental policies and practices.  The content covers environmental issues (pollution, energy, waste, water and transport), legal issues, and environmental standards and how to achieve them.  This course lays the foundations for an organisation to start the process of building an Environmental Management System.

Environmental Policy & Environmental Management Systems
Over 45% of North West Businesses do not have an Environmental Policy in place . This course will show Managers how to start developing and implementing an Environmental Policy and EMS, introduce practical tools useful for development, investigate potential problems and highlight the many Company benefits of developing an Environmental Policy and EMS.

Cost Savings for Small Businesses
Stay in the black by becoming green. This course covers the bottom line and as such is aimed at all Managers with fiscal control. Topics covered include tax concessions, government grants, transport initiatives, utility savings, supply chain savings, and cost reduction services. If you want to reduce your running costs, this is the course for you.

** This course offers a free 1 hour consultation with
an Environmental Auditor for your business.

Bookings can be made by contacting the Chamber Business Skills team on 0151 224 1888.

*SkillWorks funding is available for eligible SMEs – please call the Mersey Skills Network team for further information on reducing the cost of your training by half!

E mail: info@merseyskills.co.uk or call the team on Tel: 0151 224 1888.

Towards the end of 2009, several of the one hundred and twenty-five Green Business Ambassadors were presented with certificates to honour their achievements during the Year of the Environment.

Jack Stopforth, CEO Liverpool Chamber of Commerce presented certificates to Helen Maguire of Liverpool One, Paul Bergin, Valley Field Environmental Service and Gillian Cole UK Border Agency during a lunchtime reception held at the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce on 16th December. 

He said: “Year of Environment has been a tremendous success and although the year is ending our commitment to the green agenda and the city’s transition to a low carbon economy is not.”

Maresa Molloy, Head of Policy added: “We have already developed a strong environmental programme for next year focusing on trade waste, energy use and costs and growing innovative low carbon businesses.  We will continue to work with businesses throughout the recession to ensure they are reducing their costs and exploring the economic opportunities associated with the low carbon economy.

Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America brings together the renewable (wind, solar, biomass, small-hydro and geothermal) and emerging technologies (fuel cells, micro turbines, energy storage) sectors of the energy industry to discuss a range of technical, regulatory, structural, economic and market issues impacting their commercial future.

Last year nearly 4,000 renewable energy power professionals were present at Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America for three full days of networking, new business negotiation and the exchange of ideas pertaining to the renewable energy industry today.

This NWDA Sector Mission organised jointly by Envirolink Northwest and UKTI Northwest & West Coast, U.S offers a range of activities and options designed to introduce participating companies to the key contacts to do business in the energy sector across North America.

Get all the details and how to apply here