Engage with local businesses to share knowledge and support them in becoming more sustainable, reducing their carbon footprint, adapting to climate change, and seeking the green opportunities that arise from it.
BU1Promote Corporate Sustainability for Local Businesses
Progress
On time
- Discussion
- Not started
- Initial scoping
- Planning stage
- Underway
- Continuous
Description
Encouraging local businesses to embrace sustainability is crucial for tackling climate change. By adopting energy-efficient processes, waste reduction initiatives, and responsible sourcing practices, local businesses contribute to mitigating climate change impacts. Additionally, business commitment to sustainability fosters a culture of environmental consciousness that extends beyond the workplace, influencing customer choices and community behaviours.
Read more
- Carbon Trust: A guide to carbon footprinting for businesses
- Wenta: Validating your carbon footprint reduction
- Energy Saving Trust: Improving energy efficiency in the workplace
- Financial innovation for SME net zero transition: Role of banks and buyers
- IBM: Sustainability in Businesses
Tasks
What are we doing?
- 31/12/2024
Explore green leases
What has been done?
- 06/02/2024
Create a webpage on sustainable business practice.
Publish a webpage on sustainable business practice which includes advice on embedding these practices into businesses. The webpage can be viewed here: https://www.stevenage.gov.uk/environment/climate-change-and-sustainability/sustainable-business-practice
- 30/06/2023
Net Zero Support funding for Small and Medium sized Enterprises
SBC has agreed to fund 100 Gold Memberships for Wenta's new Net Zero service that help SME's to better understand the risks and opportunities related to climate change and Net Zero. The service includes evaluation of carbon footprint, establishing reduction targets, developing action plan, monitoring and reporting progress. Along with the support and guidance, SME's could also obtain environmental accreditation to demonstrate their commitment to climate action and Net Zero. To find out more Action Zero: Reduce your small business' carbon footprint with help from Wenta.
- 31/03/2023
Community Renewal Funding Programme
In partnership with Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership to secured funding from central government from the Community Renewal Fund. Part of the fund is used to support micro businesses and voluntary organisations by hosting sustainability planning workshops to identify cost savings and provide an opportunity for networking. The aim of the programme is to help micro businesses and voluntary organisations to achieve ISO environmental accreditations that might allow them to work with wider supply chain. Find out more at Hertfordshire's partnership succeeds in wealth building bid (stevenage.gov.uk)
- 15/03/2022
Grow through Sustainability Conference 2022
Experts in their field explain how to make your business greener and increase your productivity, all the while working towards net carbon goals to increase your sustainability and competitiveness.
Find out more Grow through Sustainability Conference - Stevenage Borough Council (investinstevenage.co.uk)
Summary and contacts
Timeline
Continuous
Responsible organisations
Portfolio Holder
Strategic Themes
Engagement type
Information updated 12/02/2024
Our Property and Estates department is currently undertaking a project relating to "greener leases" for all our commercial tenants.
The project involves reviewing green initiatives already undertaken by us for commercial tenants as well as exploring new opportunities. The project aims to develop new procedures and incentives to encourage “greener leases” without being too restrictive to existing or future commercial leaseholders.