The free guide, available online at www.envirowise.gov.uk/EN922  outlines a step-by-step review process that can help businesses identify the main causes of waste around their site and save up to 40% on waste disposal costs.

With as much as 89.6 million tonnes of construction waste generated across England alone each year¹, the cost saving potential for the UK runs into millions of pounds.

Savings can be made by making simple low-cost or no-cost changes such as segregating waste at source. For example, by reducing waste by 20% a businesses can cut waste disposal costs by 40% and waste to landfill by 60%. With annual landfill tax rises confirmed until 2013, there is clearly a need for businesses to take action.

Envirowise Construction Specialist, Chris Hodgson, said: “The Federation of Master Builder’s latest State of Trade survey shows that economic conditions for small builders in the UK continue to be very challenging². However, reducing waste costs is a straightforward, effective way to help improve the bottom-line and this new guide demonstrates how to secure significant cost savings with little or no up front investment required.

“Running a resource efficient business can also help builders to better manage their potential liabilities, reducing their exposure to costly fines from improper waste management processes, as well as ensuring they are well placed to make the most of the recovery when it comes.”

For more general advice regarding resource efficiency in construction builders can visit www.envirowise.gov.uk/construction or call the Envirowise Advice Line on 0800 585 794.

Footnotes

1. Defra - Estimated re-use, recycling and disposal of hard construction & demolition and excavation waste by region in 2005
2. FMB State of Trade Survey 2009 Q1

From:http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/uk/Press-Office/Press-Releases/UK-Press-Releases/New-guide-could-help-builders-cut-waste-costs-by-as-much-as-40.html

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Since its launch, the ‘Wizard’ has helped 3,000 businesses to build their very own resource efficiency plan, tailor-made to their individual business needs.

The five most popular topics searched as components of the bespoke guides to date are:

1. Waste management

2. Environmental Management Strategies

3. Raw material use

4. People issues

5. Recycling

Results have shown that preventing waste is taking precedence over end of life recycling. Envirowise East of England regional manager, Simon Best, believes that this is an indication that businesses are developing a more complex understanding of resource efficiency as a means to unlocking working capital and combating the economic downturn.

He says “By being more efficient with resources to prevent, rather than responsibly disposing of waste, businesses can free up time and money to focus on building and defending their market position at a difficult time. It’s encouraging to see so many businesses, diverse by region and sector, looking at such measures to reduce their costs and proactively seeking out support through the Envirowise Publications Wizard.”

“For those companies who are interested in the business benefits of resource efficiency, but don’t know where to begin, the Wizard is a simple starting point that help them get up and running quickly.”

The Publications Wizard asks a series of straightforward, multiple choice questions to determine business sector and understanding of resource efficiency. Specific areas of support are then identified, allowing the user to tailor-make a personalised PDF document that gives specific guidance based on their individual business circumstances.

To try out the wizard, please visit: www.envirowise.gov.uk/publications

From:http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/uk/Press-Office/Press-Releases/UK-Press-Releases/Wizard-helps-businesses-conjure-up-savings.html

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Dr Alan Knight, OBE, will talk about the strategically implications of climate change and other sustainable development challenges; shaping the opportunities that arise from embracing these issues into the core of the business.

He will be joined by an esteemed panel consisting of:

Simon Fineman, chief executive, Timbmet
Dr Michael Gells, managing director, Xanfeon
Dr David Hall, chief executive, Quotient Bioresearch
Steve Love, head of culture, Virgin Money
All are active participants of the new economy agenda and great supporters of Green Light Trust.

You will go away with:

• wider knowledge and understanding of the situation and how it affects you and your business
• skills, knowledge and the ability to make a significant difference
• better prepared to reach your C02 reduction commitments
• pledges on your engagement in transforming your businesses and support in fulfilling them.

Date and time

3.00pm, 13 July 2009

Location

Green Light Trust
The Foundry
Lawshall
IP29 4PJ

Register now

To register please contact Nigel Hughes, chief executive, Green Light Trust on 01284 830829 or at the following address:

Green Light Trust
The Foundry
Bury Road
Lawshall
Suffolk
IP29 4PJ

Fax: 01284 830845

Please note there are only 25 spaces available at £45 per person so you are recommended you book your place now.

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The award-winning event will give you the practical tools and confidence to not only see-out the downturn, but to be prepared to beat-off the competition in the up-turn. 

Hosted by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), Destination Growth ‘09 will focus on four key business issues, with a specific emphasis on helping you survive and thrive in the recession: innovation, sales and marketing, leadership and accessing finance.  With a combination of keynote speeches, seminars, interactive workshops and 1-2-1 sessions with speakers - Destination Growth ‘09 has something for every business leader.

Speaking on the subject of leading in adversity, Greg Dyke, former director general BBC, is just one of the 30 high-profile business experts confirmed for Destination Growth ‘09. 

To find out who else is speaking and to secure your personalised programme of choice visit: www.eeda.org.uk/destinationgrowth

When: 3 November 2009
Where: AirSpace Duxford, Cambridgeshire
Cost: £75 (excl VAT)

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Consultancy is inherently a lagging indicator of economic cycles due to work signed off in the pipeline months in advance, so it was not until the last few months of 2008 when the tide turned and environmental consultancies were suddenly struggling to keep all of their staff busy. It was during this period of uncertainty that Environment Analyst conducted its first annual benchmark survey of firms active in the sector.

The final report – Market Assessment of the UK Environmental Consulting Sector 2009 – forecasts that the overall market will be flat this year, growing by low single digits at best, but still outperforming the economy as a whole and related areas such as management consulting.

Environmental consultancy disciplines with strong underlying regulatory and political drivers – such as climate change & energy and waste management – are expected to be most resilient. Demand from both the traditional energy sector (oil, gas and nuclear) and renewables industry are also still growing strongly for the environmental consultancy market as a whole. There is also healthy growth in government-funded projects, with the public sector accounting for just under a third of total market revenues in 2008.

Export commodity

Another positive finding is that UK environmental consultancy expertise is very much in demand globally, with overseas work and projects for international clients accounting around a quarter of our survey sample’s total UK revenues. Extrapolating these figures to the market as a whole would mean international work brings in revenues of some £350 million on top of UK-sourced contracts.

The report’s author, Environment Analyst Editor Liz Trew comments: “British environmental consultancies have developed world-leading expertise in areas such as climate change and carbon management and are successfully exporting their services. Our survey shows that most are hoping to win more overseas work over the coming months to help offset the softening domestic market – with the Middle East emerging as having the best growth prospects for these firms globally in spite of the region’s recent problems.”

Recession impacts

Of the twelve disciplines which Environment Analyst considers to form the core of the environmental consultancy market, the strongest performers in 2008 were climate change & energy and ecological/landscape services – both growing in excess of 20%. Growth in revenues from environmental impact assessment (EIA) and related services also increased above the overall market rate last year, but will be inevitably curtailed in 2009 due to a slowdown in the pipeline of development support work.

The survey findings confirm that contaminated land, the biggest single income stream for environmental consultancies (at 16% of total market revenues), has taken the biggest hit from the economic downturn of all the major service areas. Around half of the consultancies surveyed were experiencing contracting revenues from this field of work at the time of the survey, while revenues were flat for a further 20%.

Liz Trew comments: “Overall, the contaminated land segment continued to grow by a respectable 7% in 2008 – largely thanks to projects completed in the first half of the year – but is set to fall sharply this year as brownfield development in the commercial sector has effectively ground to a halt in many areas.”

A cutback in discretionary spend among specific client sectors is also evident from the survey responses. Two thirds of consultancies reported a reduction in revenues from the construction/property sector – with one in ten suffering a drop of 15% or more. Half of consultancies also saw a decline in project spend coming from financial & professional organisations as the banking sector crisis accelerated from the middle of 2008. Revenues from the manufacturing industry were also down or flat for 75% of consultancies.

Further information is available at http://environment-analyst.com/intelligence

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Held between:  

EEDA has launched a new and improved portfolio of financial products to help support businesses in the region. Join us for one of these workshops to understand what’s available through EEDA and to find out if you are eligible to access it.

Who should attend?
Businesses looking for funding to prove an idea
Businesses looking to fund research and development projects
Business looking for finance to expand their business.

What it will cover?
The event will cover an overview of:

• Grant funding available from EEDA, (Proof of Concept, Grants for Research and Development, Grants for Business Investment)
• Loan funding available from EEDA for both start up and established businesses
• EEDA’s new Understanding Finance for Business Programme.

EEDA’s new Understanding Finance for Business programme helps you understand your options for securing finance and increase your chance of success. It is structured around a series of workshops and support that become more tailored as you move through the programme

Experts from EEDA will be on hand to talk to you through the various programmes.

When and where
Typically registration will open at 8.45, the event will begin at 9.15, presentations will be complete by 10.15 and the event closes at 11.15.

19 June: St Johns Innovation Centre, Cambridge
30 June: Hethel Engineering Centre, Norwich area
02 July: Biopark, Welwyn Garden City
08 July: Harlow Enterprise Hub, Harlow
09 July: Orbis Energy Centre, Lowestoft
16 July: Basepoint, Luton

To book please call 0845 601 1000 or visit www.bookevents.org and search for Business Finance

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Trinity Centre, Cambridge Science Park; 01 July 2009, 12.30pm until 3.30pm

What is it?

The LIFE Programme is the European Union’s support programme for environmental projects. The current programme, LIFE+, runs from 2007 to 2013 and has a budget of €1.7 billion.

LIFE+ has three strands:

• LIFE+ Nature and Biodiversity
• LIFE+ Environment Policy and Governance
• LIFE+ Information and Communication

The 2009 Call for proposals closes on 15 September, €250 million is available.

The UK’s indicative allocation is nearly €20 million - you could get some of this money!

The event will inform you about the funding available under the LIFE+ programme and show you how others in the region have benefited from the funding. There’ll also be an opportunity to raise questions with the National Contact Point for LIFE+ in the UK.

 Who should attend?

Anyone with an interest in accessing funding for environmental projects.

There is no fee for this event but if you send in a booking form but do not attend then you will be charged the venue’s delegate charge. To reserve your place please complete the booking form available on the link below  and return it to Sue Houlder, Conference Organiser, East of England Regional Assembly, Flempton House, Flempton, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6EG; Tel: 01284 729421; Fax: 01284 729429; e-mail: Sue.Houlder@eera.gov.uk

For more information (including booking) please visit: http://www.eera.gov.uk/meeting-and-events/regional-conferences/details/103

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By 2020 the UK will be sourcing a mere 5% of its energy from renewables, far short of the 15% target we signed up to with the European Commission.

The news will come as a huge embarrassment to the Prime Minister who signed up to the legally-binding target; if Britain fails to meet it, the government will face substantial fines from Brussels.

The Shadow Energy Minister, Greg Clarke said the figures revealed the “fundamental failure” of Labour’s climate-change policies. “This amounts to an admission that the government is going to fail not just marginally but abjectly. For the past 10 years we have lacked a credible and comprehensive energy policy. Labour’s piecemeal approach is clearly not working.”

Britain is one of the worst performers in Europe in terms of renewable energy sourcing only 2% of its needs from non-fossil-fuel sources such as wind and landfill gas.

The Prime Minister has called for a “green revolution” and in the budget Alistair Darling put the sector at the centre of his plans to revamp the economy.

He introduced subsidies for biomass and wind generation but fears persist in industry that many projects are uneconomic. Supporting this view, is DECC’s own forecast, based on present policies and subsidies.

The department is said to announce proposals to bridge the gap. A spokeswoman from DECC argued “We are not relying on existing policies. We consulted last summer on measures to take us to our binding 15% renewable-energy target and will be publishing our strategy this summer. This will set out how we intend to meet our share of the 2020 target.” 

Taken from: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6395500.ece

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Businesses could save thousands of pounds every year by adopting simple, low cost initiatives to reduce water consumption from Envirowise.

To help businesses introduce water saving measures Envirowise has launched a new step-by-step online tool that helps companies identify where and how water is used and treated, the costs involved and practical ways to reduce and re-use it. The tool also helps organisations keep control of costs and future proof against rises and supply shortages.

In 2008 Envirowise ran Rippleffect, a free initiative designed to help businesses tackle water use. The scheme attracted around 500 businesses, it is hoped that many more will benefit from water savings by using the new tool.

“Whilst many of us consider water to be a cheap and endless resource, the reality is that we are using and wasting far too much, and this is placing extra pressure on existing supplies as well as impacting on the bottom line” said Simon Best, East of England regional manager for Envirowise.

“It is crucial that people are aware of the serious and complex issues around water supply and use and we hope the new Water Efficiency Tool from Envirowise will help businesses address these challenges in the most effective way.”

To use the Water Efficiency Tool visit www.envirowise.gov.uk/water

Envirowise offers a range of support, guides and factsheets for businesses interested in becoming more water efficient. For more information visit the Envirowise website: www.envirowise.gov.uk or call the Advice Line on 0800 585 794.

Sources

¹ UN calculations, The Times, 22nd January 2009
² Review of Water Use in Industry and Commerce: Envirowise N.B. statistics referenced exclude utilities, agriculture, fish farming, Mfr of coke & petroleum products

From: http://www.envirowise.gov.uk

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The Envirowise Savings Calculator (http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/savingscalculator) takes businesses through three simple steps to help them cut costs and increase profits. By putting in a few basic details into the calculator they can unveil the savings they could make on costs such as paper, waster disposal, water, heating and transport.

“Businesses are increasingly looking at ways to cut their costs as the challenging economic climate hits their bottom line. Putting profit back into business rather than seeing it wasting away is a great place to start and we can see that those companies who have a positive attitude towards resource efficiency are reaping the rewards” said Simon Best, East of England regional manager of Envirowise.

He added that “although many businesses have already taken steps to improve their processes, there is always something more that can be done and we hope our Savings Calculator will help them make some small changes that will have a lasting, positive, impact on their businesses.”

Once the information is entered into the calculator, a business can use it to create an individual, tailored plan to help minimise costs. The calculator pools all relevant Envirowise guides and money-saving advice to help companies get started on the journey towards resource efficiency.

To find out the amount of money your business could save, log on to the Envirowise Savings Calculator at http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/savingscalculator

From: http://www.envirowise.gov.uk

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