Wednesday 11 August 2021
British Chambers of Commerce launches new Net Zero Hub
A new Net Zero Hub to provide businesses with free resources to accelerate their net zero journey has been launched by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), in partnership with O2.
The hub offers practical guides, real life insights and useful tools aimed at helping businesses across the UK to build a greener future and reap the benefits of reaching net zero.
It includes a Green Savings Calculator from O2 to identify ways to save money and reduce carbon emissions from flexible working as well as a selection of events and webinars to help businesses reach their sustainability goals.
In trials, the calculator found an average potential annual saving of £2.6 million for a company of 1,000 employees.
Overall, O2 calculated it could provide annual savings totalling £53 billion for businesses in the UK.
The launch of the hub comes as research published by the BCC, in partnership with O2, found only one in 10 businesses – of more than 1,000 surveyed – are measuring their carbon footprint.
https://twitter.com/britishchambers/status/1425004193983651844
In addition, almost two thirds (64%) of businesses say they don't see net zero targets as a “high priority” in the wake of the pandemic, although 49% admit their customers are worried about the environment and one in five businesses (22%) don't fully understand the term 'net zero', with almost a third yet to seek advice or information to help them develop a net zero roadmap or improve their environmental sustainability.
Jo Bertram, Managing Director, Business & Wholesale at Virgin Media O2 said: “In May, the government called on small businesses to lead the charge and pledge to reach net zero by 2050 or sooner but our research shows that to do this, they need more support. From microbusinesses to larger firms, SMBs have told us they’re concerned about the environment but in the wake of lockdowns and growing economic pressures, the majority are understandably facing barriers to improving their sustainability.
“That’s why today we’ve launched the Net Zero Hub: to provide businesses of all sizes with the free online resources they need to accelerate their net zero journey. Whether they have just started or are well underway, the hub offers practical guides, real-life insights and useful tools to help small businesses reap the benefits of reaching net zero.
"Small businesses make up 99% of the UK’s business landscape and we’re committed to helping them cut their collective carbon footprint and play their part in building a cleaner, greener future for the UK.”
