The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is teaming up with the Prince’s Mayday Network to help its members become greener.
The Mayday Network, part of the
Business in the Community charity, is a collaborative movement of UK
businesses committed to action on
climate change. It is backed by large organisations such as Alliance Boots, The Carbon Trust, United Utilities and Lloyds TSB and has around 2400 members, many of them
small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The Mayday Network said its partnership with the
FSB, which represents the largest number of
small businesses in the UK, would enable it to reach out to a much wider range of small businesses to help them become more sustainable. There are around 4.7 million small businesses in the UK and the Mayday Network believes they have a crucial role to play in contributing to the fight against climate change.
Under the partnership, FSB members will be able to gain access to the Mayday Network’s interactive 'Mayday Journey’ an online tool enabling businesses to move to a low carbon operation. FSB members will also gain exclusive access to the Mayday Network carbon-mentoring programme, a new initiative launching this year that allows smaller businesses to team up with sustainability experts from large companies and gain advice and firsthand experience on business sustainability issues.
Katie Webber, Mayday campaign director said: "Small businesses form the back bone of the UK economy. They have a vital and exciting role to play in the move to a low carbon, sustainable future. Innovative and efficient by nature, small businesses in the Mayday Network are learning that simple changes can save them money, and position them well for the future.
"More than 40 per cent of Mayday members are already SMEs, and we are hoping to grow this number through our partnership with the FSB, who will help us to reach out to thousands more small businesses all over the UK."
David Caro, chair of the FSB Environment & Energy Committee added: "The new interactive Mayday Journey helps small businesses go green by bringing together all the information via an online tool that anyone within a small business can use to progress their business along a low carbon journey."
The
British Chambers of Commerce linked up with the Carbon Trust in February to encourage SMEs to introduce energy efficiency meaures.
The Mayday Network was launched three years ago by HRH the Prince of Wales as a distress signal to urge businesses to take the positive action needed to address climate change. Past activities of the Mayday Network have focused around an annual Summit on May 1, but since 2009 it has developed into an everyday movement with member companies nearly doubling over the past year.
The FSB currently has 215,000 members across 33 regions.
Related news:
Green SME news
Related links:
www.maydaynetwork.com
www.fsb.org.uk
www.britishchambers.org.uk