Posted on 9th Mar
Using Greener business practices was on the agenda at a free workshop organised by Newark and Sherwood District Council.
The Sustainability in Business workshop, held at Hexgreave Hall, Farnsfield, provided expert insight into the positive effects sustainability can have on local businesses.
Attendees heard from Will Syme-Nicholson, partner and CFO at Leeds Associates Ltd, a local sustainability and sustainable energy consultancy that provides innovative strategies and solutions across market sectors.
Will focused on the benefits available to businesses if they move to a greener approach, including competitive advantage, increased brand recognition and reputation, reduced operational costs and risk reduction. He also talked through the steps needed to create a sustainable strategy, including assessing current practices, setting achievable goals, and putting into practice an action plan to address these.
In addition, the council presented what it is doing to support sustainability. This includes the installation of solar PV and electric vehicle charging points at its commercial sites, retrofitting existing housing to improve energy efficiency, developing policies to support wind energy and our major programme of tree planting and conservation across the district.
The workshop concluded with a live survey, during which businesses provided feedback on what sustainability meant to them. This information will help influence later initiatives and support provided by th council.
The workshop was attended by 28 business leaders across various sectors in the district. 75% of those who provided feedback rated the workshop excellent, with 91.6% of respondents saying they would encourage others to attend a future workshop.
The council said it will continue to provide businesses with important insight and advice on sustainable business practices, including at the next Economic Growth Conference, to be held on 12th October at Boughton Pumping Station.
Coun Rhona Holloway, portfolio holder at the council, said: “The Sustainability in Business workshop was a great success and provided businesses with key insights and advice into how they can move forward with addressing the issue of sustainability. A huge thank you to our guest speakers and to everyone who attended.
“I look forward to continuing to address this topic in the future, including at our next Economic Growth Conference in October.”
Will added: “As a local business it was a privilege to support Newark and Sherwood District Council with the Sustainability in Business workshop as we drive to make businesses more sustainable and more resilient to the effects of energy fluctuations. There was fantastic engagement from lots of businesses and we were hopefully able to inspire a change for the better.”
