Southend Business Partnership Briefing – March 2020

The Environment is a topic for international concern and it is important that we, in Southend, are working to reduce our carbon emissions to help safeguard the Borough and the planet for future generations.

Back in September 2019 the Council declared a Climate emergency and challenged businesses and residents across the Borough to become Carbon neutral by 2030. To achieve these ambitious targets Southend will need to work collaboratively.

The council has already reduced emissions from its own buildings by 75% since 2014, and as a Borough lowered emissions by 35% since 2005, placing the council 28th nationally in the UK for CO2 emissions per head of population. This is particularly impressive because the top 30 contains many rural areas that have large areas of green space which act as carbon sinks and Southend is a particularly densely populated area. However, we cannot achieve the targets alone.

We know that many local businesses have already taken steps to reduce their carbon footprint and we would like to invite businesses to an event where they can share what they are doing and also learn from others about what else they can do.

A number of local Southend businesses have benefited, over the last three years, from LoCASE grants to replace heating systems, install energy saving systems and processes, to install insulation and to reduce waste. The LoCASE grant programme has now ended but we are hoping to secure additional funding to further this work. However, the programme has taught us that the payback on investment is often very short, so businesses have benefited from significant cost savings which have support business growth.

We are therefore theming our next event on Climate Change and Carbon Zero, so we can work with you to ensure that Southend works together to benefit the residents, visitors and businesses, and plays our part in making the changes needed to save our planet.

In addition, if you are a business who could share with others the measures you have taken to reduce waste and the carbon footprint we would like to hear from you. Please click here to email us you company details so we can arrange time to discuss.

Many thanks for your interest in this important topic. We look forward to working with you to make Southend a great place to live, work and visit.

Event Timings

7:30am – 8:30am Registration and marketplace – Market place to include businesses and council departments that are supporting carbon reduction (approx. 25 stalls)

8:30am – 10am Presentations and round table discussions in order to identify :
• The risks
• Opportunities for changing behaviour
• Barriers to change

Speakers are yet to be confirmed but we hope to hear from:

• Cllr Carole Mulroney/ Cllr Ian Gilbert –to discuss the issue and council response
• University of Greenwich – The scale of the issue nationally and national context
• Jeremy Martin  – Energy and Sustainability Manager – to introduce the local Southend context
• Carbon Trust – Practical solutions to the issue

Round table on :

• What can we change ( The pledge)
• What are the barriers to change
• What could support this change
• Round up on next steps

If you require any more information please email: economicd@southend.gov.uk