It’s the fi nal countdown

In today’s race to net zero, we often forget that some of the main drivers for businesses, beyond reducing their environmental impact, are looking after staff, protecting the bottom line, investing in the future and creating the next business opportunity. Here at LoCASE we’ve seen great innovations, with businesses keen to promote sustainability to their customers by enhancing their own products and services whilst at the same time positively impacting their profitability.

LoCASE has funded small and medium enterprises to reduce their CO2 emissions in many different ways. One example is a warehouse replacing all its T8 lights for LED versions. This massively reduces lighting energy costs (by nearly 50%) and saves several tons of CO2 emissions each year. Further cost savings could be made if energy prices increase again as expected in the autumn. Other businesses are purchasing second hand electric vehicles (either cars or vans) to relieve the financial impact of escalating prices at the pumps and reduce their tailpipe emissions.

The move to solar power generation continues as energy costs increase with businesses keen to reduce their daytime energy use. We have received applications from a variety of SMEs, including sports clubs and charities, requesting financial help with Solar PV systems and battery storage, upgrading floodlights and installing heat pumps.

Do you have a green service you want to promote or develop? Grants between £1,000 and £10,000 are available. LoCASE also provides grants for green products and services which fall under the low carbon economy definitions. This might be R&D support or marketing for a product or service you have developed but need help getting to market.

By registering at www.locase.co.uk we’ll assess your eligibility for funding and, if eligible, one of our local business support providers will contact you to explore your needs, ideas or projects. After this you’ll be invited to make an application. You’ll need to supply two quotes for each of your chosen projects or measures (which can be combined into one application). This will then be assessed by our business support provider and sent to our grants panel once complete. Grant funding is provided at 40% of a projects overall cost, 60% of the project is privately funded by the SME. STEPS TO ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT – A FREE RESOURCE

The aim of this free business support is to facilitate the reduction of carbon emissions across the South and East by providing training, tools and resources to small and medium enterprises to implement an environmental management system or plan.

This is delivered by the LoCASE partnership across three levels: Blue, Silver and Gold. Each SME completes a stage, moves on to the next level and achieves accreditation. Check out www.locase.co.uk for more information.

The Low Carbon Across the South and East Programme has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund 2014-20.

It is a partnership between the Kent County Council, Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council, East Sussex County Council, Essex County Council, Isle of Wight Council, Portsmouth City Council, Rushmoor Borough Council, Southampton City Council, Southendon-Sea Borough Council, Surrey County Council, Test Valley Borough Council, Thurrock Council, the University of Brighton, the University of Portsmouth, West Sussex County Council, and Winchester City Council.