11/11/09 – Burn Hall Hotel, Huby, York – 1.30 pm – 5.00 pm

18/11/09 – Sedum House, Doncaster – 9.30 am – 1.00 pm

This workshop is specifically designed to help small and medium sized businesses understand the carbon emissions they generate and identify where they can take action to reduce their carbon footprint. By taking part, you can not only cut costs but also improve your reputation as an environmentally responsible business, which could help you attract new customers. The event is a practical, hands-on workshop for no more than 25 people, presented by an accredited and experienced consultant from the Carbon Trust.
Aimed At
The workshop is designed for any business with an annual energy spend of between £20,000 and £100,000. It should be attended by personnel responsible for paying the energy bills, improving the cost effectiveness or environmental issues at an SME.

Main Points
Beforehand, you’ll be asked to collect your energy usage for the last 12 months. This data will be used to measure how much carbon your business is generating.

• At the 3-hour workshop you‘ll learn exactly how you can reduce your business’s carbon emissions.

• Afterwards, the Carbon Trust’s Customer Centre and your local Business Link office will support you in putting what you’ve learned into practice. They’ll help you track your carbon savings and work with you to grow your business.

• You’ll be able to compare notes with a network of your peers who are also committed to becoming lower carbon businesses.

To book on the workshop please visit the Business Link website http://www.businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk/events and search by entering the event title in to the search box.

Places are limited so book now to avoid disappointment.

“Green IT Expo 2009 is a free educational forum aimed at senior IT and business decision-makers who are actively implementing or beginning to formulate more sustainable computing strategies. The event is designed to showcase thought leadership, environmentally-friendly technologies, green innovations, the latest tools & techniques and specialist advisors operating in this important area.” – http://www.greenitexpo.com/

I did some diggining and found a few, some may be useful and others just interesting. If you have any more let me know!

Ecovian – A web based environmental community. Seems to be America focused at the moment but a good idea that could take off elsewhere.

Nissan iPhone App – The app connects to the on-board diagnostics tool and tells you how efficiently you are driving. Sadly not yet released over here.

Listthings – A very basic idea that allows you to store notes online. Apparently meaning that you don’t need sticky notes anymore. A bit tenuous that one but you get the idea!

There are also numerous iPhone apps, far too many to list here, so have a look and see what you can find.

More information – http://news.techworld.com/green-it/3203595/green-power-monitoring-software-tool-to-launch/

The article makes interesting reading and highlights a big issue that IT companies face when looking at their eco credentials.

Read the article here - http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/green-computing/

The first tour is already available with commetary from Al Gore and they have teamed up with COP15 to provide a dedicated YouTube channel.

Investigate for yourselves – http://www.google.com/landing/cop15/#intro

A leading systems management appliance company have announced that 93 percent of the IT professionals surveyed (what about the other 7 percent?!?) believe desktop power management has the potential to reduce overall IT costs, but less than half are actively managing desktop power usage.

The top reason cited for not implementing a power management strategy is the need to keep computers running at all times for patching and system upgrades. So there is a trade-off between wanting to be green and keeping their companies secure and profitable.

A summary of the key findings from the survey include:

• 93 percent of survey respondents believe desktop power management will reduce costs;
• 56 percent do not manage desktop power usage in any way;
• 58 percent of front-line IT professionals surveyed lack visibility into cost savings from desktop power management;
• Only 10 percent indicate use of a commercially developed solution to manage desktop power;
• Most respondents indicated the number one feature needed in a commercial solution for desktop power management is easy scheduling of policies with upgrading and patching for windows;
• 81 percent of respondents want a desktop power management solution that is integrated with their systems management solution;
• 95 percent of IT executives believe desktop power management will reduce costs compared to 89 percent of “frontline” IT professionals

The wider world needs to realise that becoming green isn’t as easy as changing the intent and culture at an orgainsation. Somtimes industries as a whole to stand up, educate and act.

For full stats, views and commentary view the article

A key message that needs to be recognised is that sustainability is about undertaking and considering measures and actions that help to prevent and reduce the negative impacts which local communities will experience if natural resources and the environment – the air, water, and Earth – are not sufficiently maintained and protected. Therefore, sustainability is about actions that improve people’s quality of life in the areas of economic development and social well-being whilst drawing on natural resources but also protecting these and the environment in consideration for both present and future generations[i].

With all of this considered, what changes are in store for the council, residents and the local area?

Dr. James Bridges, Sustainability Co-ordinator, Scarborough Borough Council said:

“While I may not be able to save the world, I do hope to save the public and Scarborough Borough Council money and assist in protecting the environment within the borough. The public has a great perception of how we can cut out waste, stop the litter bugs, clean up the countryside but in the end it all comes down to resources which is time, people and money. In practical terms a key message in the economic recession is that by ‘going green’ and doing more to protect natural resources and the environment through applying sustainability actions, people, businesses and the Council can actually save money.” Further measures that can be implemented to reduce vulnerabilities and negative impacts to local community’s livelihoods is to grow your own food and support the local economy by purchasing locally sourced produce. This reduces the dependency on food produced from elsewhere and the carbon emission costs associated with transportation of goods.

“In terms of energy efficiency and addressing climate change, part of my job is working with the council’s energy manager to look at how the council is looking at its own operations to reduce carbon emissions. I will also be working with the public and local organisations to reduce their own and the Borough’s carbon emissions while supporting the economic and social development of local communities. For example, I will be looking at funding streams available to local communities and organisations to implement energy saving measures. Furthermore, I will be working with other local authorities within the region to develop evidence based data for actions that can prepare the Borough for the worst impacts of climate change.”

Steve Reynolds, Environment Manager, Scarborough Borough Council said:

“This new post is good news for the borough in terms of enhancing sustainability. James’ key objectives include co-ordinating, reviewing, implementing, and monitoring the Authorities’ Sustainability Policy and working with local organisations and the community to promote and implement sustainability actions. In his role James will also support the Sustainability Members Working Group (local councillor’s sustainability group) in setting future targets for sustainability, covering targets to implement a range of energy efficiency measures to help reduce consumption of fossil fuels and the release of carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change. “

-ENDS –

Notes to Editor

1 The most widely known definition of sustainability or sustainable development is the one by the World Commission on Environment and Development: ‘Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.

- ENDS -

For further information contact: Dr. James Bridges, Tel 01723 383 158 or email james.bridges@scarborough.gov.uk

The third sector (social benefit organisations, charities and voluntary organisations) are increasingly sucessful in winning Public Sector contracts. Their ability to efficiently deliver on many of the functions expected of the Public Sector is making them a poular choice for the expansion of these services.

Locally this year, for example will see the launch of the North Yorkshire Credit Union. The growth of the Parent network out of Surestart and an organisation aimed at reducing energy bills in local businesses and communities – the Moors and Coast Low Carbon Zone – which aims to increase the efficiency of energy use and generation in the region by using local contractors to deliver the work. This will be a collaboration between Scarborough based Carbon Consulting firm Cred Limited and a consortium of local heating engineers and builders, energy specialists and local businesses. The aim of the MCLCZ is to streamline acess to information about financing carbon lowering changes that home owners and businesses can make to reduce the financial and environmental costs of keeping warm and dry. Sparker.

Scarborough councillor Dilys Cluer, who represents Stepney ward and is a Green Party member, is for the plan which sees incentives made available for wind and power generation. “This is a very good idea as it gives people a real incentive to install renewable energy systems,” she said.

“What is needed in Scarborough, however, is proper advice and information about this. At the moment it is quite difficult to find out about installing wind turbines and what it would cost.

“We need more reliable, detailed information out there for householders and planners alike.”

Schemes are appearing all over the country. Some from private residents some from large corporations like Tesco, who have just had planning approved for a straw powered Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant in Scotland.