Battle bus spreads sustainability message to British businesses

The event will fire the starting pistol for the ambitious Zero Carbon Tour, organised by Planet Mark, a sustainability certification body, and set in motion a series of zero carbon initiatives, including UK businesses showcasing their sustainability journeys. Taking in the G7 summit in Cornwall in June, the tour will end at COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference, in Glasgow in November.

SMALL FIRMS NEED SUPPORT IN PATH TO SUSTAINABILITY

According to research from Small Business Britain, almost all small firms (99%) recognise the importance of sustainability but more than three out of four (77%) are unsure of how to measure their carbon emissions and are in need of support. Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng launched the Together for our Planet ‘Business Climate Leaders’ campaign to encourage small and micro businesses to commit to cutting their emissions in half by 2030 and to net zero by 2050 or sooner through the new UK Business Climate Hub.

Currently, over 40 of the UK’s FTSE 100 companies have signed up. However, the UK’s six million small businesses make up 99 per cent of the UK’s enterprises, employ 60 per cent of the UK workforce and generate £2.2 trillion of revenue to the economy, so it is crucial these enterprises take action and reduce their carbon footprint. 

SUSTAINABLE SQUARE MILE

On 10 June, Heart of the City in partnership with the City of London Corporation, will host the second stop on the Zero Carbon Tour at Guildhall. This event will focus on empowering businesses to take the first step in implementing net zero carbon targets and achievable plans. The session will begin with a free 30-minute Race to Zero information session which will introduce the global UN-backed campaign to encourage businesses to transition to an inclusive net zero carbon economy. This will be followed by a free Sustainability Open Mic session, showcasing examples of initiatives from featured organisations and their plans for the future and a free three-hour Net Zero Essentials Workshop that will equip businesses with the tools and knowledge to make a net zero pledge and create their own Net Zero Carbon Action Plan.

TOURING BRITAIN’S BUSINESS COMMUNITIES

Taking the net zero carbon message to communities across the UK, Planet Mark’s eight-month digital and physical tour is supporting the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign, which is committed to halving global emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. It will highlight how businesses can set their own net zero carbon targets in line with Race to Zero’s criteria and implement plans to achieve them.             

THE ROAD NORTH

The final leg of the tour will visit farms, schools and trading estates on the road north to COP26 in Glasgow, where Planet Mark will highlight and celebrate the steps taken by the business community in tackling carbon.

The physical stop-offs during the tour will provide everything a business needs to know to go net zero through free-to-attend carbon clinics as well as paid-for Net Zero Essentials workshops, which will give participants the tools and knowledge to join Race to Zero with a robust net zero target and an action plan to support it. The tour will also include press events and networking opportunities to help support businesses to get started on their sustainability journeys.

Steve Malkin, CEO and founder of Planet Mark, says, “This is a key moment in time, and we are aiming to give energy and impetus to the urgency of tackling the climate crisis. By embarking on our ‘Zero Carbon Tour’, we want to accelerate information and action to enable businesses to set zero carbon targets and implement achievable steps to deliver them. Net zero brings more urgency and more opportunity for organisations to work together to tackle the climate crisis. In doing so, they are publicly demonstrating their commitments that they are organisations and brands that are here to support society and our transition to net zero. It's an exciting time of innovation and action with the goal of a cleaner, healthier planet within our reach.”

*www.zerocarbontour.com

Published On: 03/06/2021 17:00:04

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