Shop opens its doors to help businesses go green and cut energy bills

Small and medium-sized businesses can now access support to reduce energy bills and carbon emissions through a new advice site.

The UK Business Climate Hub offers help for Britain’s 5.5 million SMEs, providing advice on everything from paying less for electric vehicles to generating green energy and selling it back to the grid to make money.

It also features a free carbon calculator and a suite of new tools to help businesses measure, track and report on emissions.

An array of options

The hub features guidance on various options including:

• Switching employee modes of transport and paying less for company EVs
• Getting business grants, green loans and financing for a retrofit
• Buying an air source heat pump
• Generating green energy with a wind turbine and selling it back to the grid
• Reducing emissions from farming and land use
• Buying credible carbon offsets
• Getting low-carbon product labels and certifications
• Reducing waste and recycling more

Drive towards net zero

Business and industry accounts for around 25 per cent of emissions in the UK. While research suggests 90 per cent of SMEs are keen to reduce their carbon footprint, many find it difficult to know how or where to start.

Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Graham Stuart, said: “More and more businesses are recognising the business benefits of reaching net zero and we’re determined to empower them to do so.

“Whether it’s fitting a low-carbon heat pump, generating energy with solar panels, or reducing the emissions from shipping goods, the new support will ensure businesses can drive towards net zero.”

The new site is endorsed by business leaders and ministers on the new Net Zero Council who are calling on business representative organisations across the country to take concerted action to plan to reduce their members’ emissions.

In 2020, the UK was estimated to already have more than 400,000 jobs in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the country, with turnover at £41.6 billion.

More than 80,000 green jobs are currently being supported or are in the pipeline because of new Government policies since 2020, with that expected to increase to as many as nearly half a million by 2030.

For further information visit https://businessclimatehub.org/