Starting your journey to tackle Climate Change? We detail below a range of useful links, information and support available to help you begin to understand, consider and action suitable ways you can address climate change within your business.
Making a Commitment to address Climate Change
Your business may choose to make a public commitment to address Climate Change. This is a way to show your customers, employees, supply chain and other stakeholders that your business has a part to play to address Climate Change and will be working to reduce its emissions and build greater resilience.
SME Climate Commitment – this is a commitment to achieve Net Zero emissions before 2050 and half greenhouse gas emissions before 2030. This aligns to UK Government current targets and also Science Based Targets.
You may want to set more ambitious intentions and tougher targets, many businesses are declaring climate emergencies and are aiming to be Net Zero ahead of UK government targets.
We offer some useful links to resources & templates below to help explain how you can do this - note, s ome refer to nature, this acknowledges ecological systems are in decline and that there are inter-dependencies with the climate and economic activity:
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Business Declares
Business Declares
Raising awareness across the business sector to accelerate action to address climate change and biodiversity loss.
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B Corp - How to Declare a Climate Emergency: A playbook for business
B Corp - How to Declare a Climate Emergency: A playbook for business
B Corp - How to Declare a Climate Emergency: A playbook for business
This version includes case studies about businesses that have declared a climate emergency and a deeper series of approaches about how to engage with key departments.
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Bristol Green Capital- Responding to the Climate Emergency
Bristol Green Capital- Responding to the Climate Emergency
Bristol Green Capital- Responding to the Climate Emergency
A user-friendly summary to help you and your business or organisation determine how best to respond to the climate emergency.
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Terra Carter Charter
Terra Carter Charter
HRH Prince of Wales invites Business Leaders to support the Terra Carter which sets out a roadmap to embed sustainability into the private sector – taking into account nature, health and climate.
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Business Ambition for 1.5 C
Business Ambition for 1.5 C
In the lead up to COP26 Business Leaders are invited to back this UN campaign to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
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Green Business Grants
Green Business Grants
West of England Green Business Grants support SMEs to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings and business operations.
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B Climate Tools Base
B Climate Tools Base
The B Corp Climate Collective has partnered with Oxford University to curate a set of tools to help you achieve net zero emissions.
Support to begin taking #ClimateAction
There are various local and national hubs and networks available to help support your journey to addressing climate change, including:-
Net Zero Hub
The British Chamber of Commerce has partned with O2 to bring businesses the Net Zero Hub. The Hub includes a number of useful tools for businesses to guide them on their net zero journey. The Green Savings Calculator identifies how to reduce emissions through flexible working. Their guides and sustainability led events hope to aid businesses when it comes to taking effective climate action.
Bristol Climate Hub
The Bristol Climate Hub has a quiz to help you find out where businesses and individuals can begin to take Climate Action and simple guides to help implement the recommendations
SME Climate Hub
The International Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Oxford University to create a SME Climate Hub which is recognised by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign. It provides resources to help SMEs to make a commitment, measure carbon, embed climate action into its business strategy, reduce emissions, reduce emissions in its supply chain and offsetting.
Future Economy Network
The Future Economy Network run regular events and workshops to support businesses to take #ClimateAction.
Climate Action Programme
The Climate Action Programme is a programme of guides, workshops and breakfasts to help businesses take action on climate.
Bristol Bites Back Better
This campaign supports businesses to adopt more stainable food practices .
Be the Change
Swindon Borough Council has launched a climate site, as apart of their 'Be the Change' campaign. This has useful information on measures businesses and indivduals can take in order to reduce their carbon emissions. The council's own action plan to Net Zero is also outlined here.
Support to further your #ClimateAction
Action Net Zero
Action Net Zero is a community interest company, which promotes and supports organisations on Bristol's journey to achieving net zero. They are particularly invested in promoting green travel within the city through the use of electrical vehicles. They offer guidance and support on how businesses and individuals can switch to EV by accessing grants and other projects.
Climate Leaders
Businesses based in Bristol who have made a commitment to reach Net Zero by 2030 can request to join the Bristol Green Capital Partnership Climate Leader Program which is supported by Business West and is sponsored by Nat West. Participating organisations are supported to accelerate their progress by sharing best practice and working as a group to help overcome each other’s challenges.
Supply Chain Leaders
The vast amount of carbon emissions for your business can sit within the supply chain (Scope 3 emissions). SME Climate Hub and Exponential Road map have resources to allow businesses at this stage of taking #ClimateAction by making climate related targets and performance a key supplier purchasing criteria to influence wider #ClimateAction.
Engage with other businesses who are taking #ClimateAction
Business West, through the Chamber of Commerce and Initiatives will be running workshops on environmental issues, so keep an eye on our Trading to Net Zero event page to see what's coming up.
For Bristol based businesses, we are a founding partner of Bristol Green Capital Partnership who offer monthly networking events #GreenMingle.