Newly appointed Minister for Environment & Climate Change launches the first online portal for environmental business support in Scotland
Scottish Business in the Community, BT Scotland and the 2020 Climate Group have teamed up with Scotland's key agencies to create the country's first environmental, online support tool.
Launched today by Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson, and key members of the 2020 Climate Group, the Envirowheel has been designed to help Scottish businesses identify the help they need to save money and become more sustainable.
The launch follows an inaugural meeting between the 2020 Climate Group and HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay at the Palace of Holyroodhouse this morning.
Facilitated by Scottish Business in the Community, this working session enabled the co-chairs of Scotland's 2020 Climate Group to update HRH Prince Charles of the many achievements that the group has made, the challenges and opportunities facing the group in the transition to a low carbon economy and to identify the support required to ensure the success of Scotland's ambitious climate change targets.
The session also provided the perfect opportunity to launch the 2020 Climate Group's latest business engagement tool, the Envirowheel. Each section of the wheel clearly highlights the range of help available in key areas of the Scottish Government's Climate Change Delivery Plan - energy, transport, waste, water and behaviour change, as well as key areas of business improvement, finance and legislation. Businesses simply click the section that is most relevant to them to find the help they need.
Ranging from hints and tips to practical steps, the Envirowheel has been created with support from key delivery agencies in Scotland including the Carbon Trust, Energy Saving Trust, Zero Waste Scotland, SEPA and Scottish Enterprise, ensuring that the information is factual, accessible and relevant to the area that each individual business is attempting to address.
BT Scotland director Brendan Dick, who chairs Scottish Business in the Community and is a member of the 2020 Climate Group, said: "Smaller businesses are confused by the huge variety of free environmental support available. Many don't have the time or resource to make it a priority and don't know where to start their environmental journey.
"The Envirowheel will help businesses in all sectors to understand what's needed and integrate good practices into their workplaces. It's not just about being responsible or meeting obligations, but, crucially in the current economic climate, it can also save them money."
Hosted on Scottish Business in the Community's website at: www.sbcscot.com/envirowheel the Envirowheel enables businesses from all sectors, and all sizes, to identify the key environmental issues and support mechanisms that are available to help them operate in a more sustainable way.
Lady Susan Rice, Lloyds Banking Group Scotland, who is a member of the 2020 Climate Group, said "In a society which by nature tends to make things more and more complicated, the Envirowheel really stands out for its simplicity. It's simple to use, simple to understand, and I can see how it would be genuinely helpful to a business, particularly a smaller one which doesn't have a whole unit specialising on environmental matters."
"We all have different reasons for addressing environmental challenges. What matters most is we get past the talking stage and actually do something. The Envirowheel seems to me to be an ideal tool to help companies, particularly smaller businesses, once they've made the decision to take some action."
The tool incorporates additional design elements so that it can be tailored for individual businesses. For instance, a bespoke version might be created for a business to promote specific messages around how employees can take action on environmental sustainability.
The Envirowheel's unique design allows businesses to 'embed' and host the tool directly on their own websites, in the same way as Youtube videos and Google maps. This added functionality enables you to actively encourage your supply chains to act more responsibly, further supporting their own environmental credentials and allowing them greater control of their emissions.
Launched today by Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson, and key members of the 2020 Climate Group, the Envirowheel has been designed to help Scottish businesses identify the help they need to save money and become more sustainable.
The launch follows an inaugural meeting between the 2020 Climate Group and HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay at the Palace of Holyroodhouse this morning.
Facilitated by Scottish Business in the Community, this working session enabled the co-chairs of Scotland's 2020 Climate Group to update HRH Prince Charles of the many achievements that the group has made, the challenges and opportunities facing the group in the transition to a low carbon economy and to identify the support required to ensure the success of Scotland's ambitious climate change targets.
The session also provided the perfect opportunity to launch the 2020 Climate Group's latest business engagement tool, the Envirowheel. Each section of the wheel clearly highlights the range of help available in key areas of the Scottish Government's Climate Change Delivery Plan - energy, transport, waste, water and behaviour change, as well as key areas of business improvement, finance and legislation. Businesses simply click the section that is most relevant to them to find the help they need.
Ranging from hints and tips to practical steps, the Envirowheel has been created with support from key delivery agencies in Scotland including the Carbon Trust, Energy Saving Trust, Zero Waste Scotland, SEPA and Scottish Enterprise, ensuring that the information is factual, accessible and relevant to the area that each individual business is attempting to address.
BT Scotland director Brendan Dick, who chairs Scottish Business in the Community and is a member of the 2020 Climate Group, said: "Smaller businesses are confused by the huge variety of free environmental support available. Many don't have the time or resource to make it a priority and don't know where to start their environmental journey.
"The Envirowheel will help businesses in all sectors to understand what's needed and integrate good practices into their workplaces. It's not just about being responsible or meeting obligations, but, crucially in the current economic climate, it can also save them money."
Hosted on Scottish Business in the Community's website at: www.sbcscot.com/envirowheel the Envirowheel enables businesses from all sectors, and all sizes, to identify the key environmental issues and support mechanisms that are available to help them operate in a more sustainable way.
Lady Susan Rice, Lloyds Banking Group Scotland, who is a member of the 2020 Climate Group, said "In a society which by nature tends to make things more and more complicated, the Envirowheel really stands out for its simplicity. It's simple to use, simple to understand, and I can see how it would be genuinely helpful to a business, particularly a smaller one which doesn't have a whole unit specialising on environmental matters."
"We all have different reasons for addressing environmental challenges. What matters most is we get past the talking stage and actually do something. The Envirowheel seems to me to be an ideal tool to help companies, particularly smaller businesses, once they've made the decision to take some action."
The tool incorporates additional design elements so that it can be tailored for individual businesses. For instance, a bespoke version might be created for a business to promote specific messages around how employees can take action on environmental sustainability.
The Envirowheel's unique design allows businesses to 'embed' and host the tool directly on their own websites, in the same way as Youtube videos and Google maps. This added functionality enables you to actively encourage your supply chains to act more responsibly, further supporting their own environmental credentials and allowing them greater control of their emissions.
