Mayday Update June 2011

Lead Story: Environment Minister launches first online portal for environmental business support in Scotland	Legislation,regulations and publications to help you on your journey
Case Study: Scottish Gas	Events;webinars, workshops, exhibitions in Scotland
2020 Climate Group Interview: Terri Vogt - First Group	Did you know; hints tips to keep you on track
Report Back: How much carbon have you saved?

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.

The Envirowheel has been designed to help Scottish businesses identify the help they need to save money and become more sustainable. Stewart Stevenson, Minister for the Environment and Climate Change and key members of the 2020 Climate Group launched the wheel outside Scottish Parliament on the 2^nd June.

The launch followed an inaugural meeting between the 2020 Climate Group and HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

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. (For more information on this working session click here)

The session also provided a 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.

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 larger businesses, who often have an established environmental policy, to actively encourage their supply chains to behave more responsibly further supporting their own environmental credentials and allowing them greater control of their indirect emissions.

To use and upload this unique tool visit www.sbcscot.com/envirowheel

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Member: Scottish Gas

Business: Energy

Offices: Edinburgh, Uddingston, Glasgow, Hamilton, Aberdeen

Who: Scottish Gas is proud to be working with Scotland’s people, homes and communities.

Here in Scotland we employ around 4,500 people. We have major offices in Edinburgh, Uddingston, Glasgow and Aberdeen, with a team of engineers and energy experts throughout Scotland.

What: The British Gas Green Streets project is investing over £2 million on the 14 communities around the UK that made it through to go head-to-head for the title 'Britain's most innovative green community'. Scottish Gas is supporting two major community initiatives in the overall project.

REAP Scotland, Newmill Village, Morayshire

Community Size
200 domestic properties

Community Buildings
Newmill Village Hall

Newmill Primary School

Energy Projects

Biomass boiler
Reduce Heating Oil use
Create a sustainable income utilising the new RHI allowances
Engage with all the domestic properties in the village

Overview

Newmill is a small village in Moray with a primary school and a village hall at its heart. The two buildings are located near to each other and their pattern of energy use is complementary – the hall is used mainly in the evenings and on weekend, while the school is used during weekdays.

Scottish Gas has installed a biomass boiler in the hall, which is connected via a district heating system to the school across the road. The boiler has only recently been commissioned but the community is already delighted with it and hope that it will help to support the sustainability of the Village Hall and the school through the Renewable Heat Incentive for many years to come.

Almost 200 energy saving products have been distributed to residents of Newmill, two homes have been insulated and others have also been identified for upgrades.

Eilean Eisdale, by Oban, Argyll

Community Size
Full time community of 63 people. Important second home/part-time population of 78

Buildings
Community hall, museum, ferry shed, 23 participating houses

Energy Projects

6kW wind turbine – still in planning stages
3kW solar pv system
Air Source Heat Pump
Create an “energy trail” to educate both islanders and tourists about renewable energy
Insulation

Overview
The Green Streets project on Easdale Island is intended to promote education of saving and generating energy by providing renewable energy solutions and technology for homes and community buildings.

A number of renewable technologies have been submitted for planning and almost 300 energy saving products have been distributed to residents. Some domestic and commercial buildings, including the island’s museum, have been insulated and draught proofed to keep the heat in. A pellet stove is also due to be installed in a domestic property.

Although not yet fully implemented, the Easdale Island Green Streets project has already helped to focus the attention of the community on the important issues of energy efficiency and conservation.

Why: These Green Streets communities are living case studies of how we can all change our energy use through efficiency measures and new technology.

How: We have assigned an Energy Expert to work with each community to help them choose the best technologies to fit their needs and to negotiate both planning regulations and community engagement. By ensuring all of these things fit together the communities should get the best technological fit for their needs and see a significant drop in their energy usage.

Benefits: When the projects were selected we wanted to see significant improvements to key criteria including:

- saving energy

- generating energy locally

- getting the local community involved

- making a sustainable, remarkable difference

Both our Scottish communities are well on track to getting their projects up and running and seeing significant

Quote: Kevin Roxburgh, Director of Scottish Gas said ‘Green Streets has been a major investment for us and Scotland’s communities are ideally suited to show just how effective microgeneration can be, particularly in rural locations. We have two first class projects representing Scotland in the overall competition and I am delighted with the learnings and progress made.’

For more information on Green Streets please visit www.greenstreets.co.uk

Call for Case Studies

At Mayday Scotland we endeavour to share your successes and we profile your news on www.sbcscot.com/mayday www.maydaynetwork.com and through our regular communications. If you have a story and would like to share it with the wider network please contact Todd Henshaw or call 0131 451 1000.

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Name: Terri Vogt

Organisation : FirstGroup plc

Position: Group Head of CSR

What is your role on the 2020 Group?

I am co-chair of the transport sub-group.

What is the most interesting aspect of your role within the 2020 Group?

Meeting people from other parts of the transport sector.

What do you believe to be the key challenge Scotland faces in achieving the 42% reduction in carbon emission by 2020?

Getting consistent and joined up thinking across the country. To achieve these targets carbon needs to be a consistent part of decision making at government, business, local authority and individual level. That is a major challenge to achieve.

What opportunities do you think the move to a low carbon economy can bring to Scotland?

Scotland has huge retained resources. We could be energy self sufficient and significant exporters of renewable energy. We also have capabilities in the built environment we should build on.

What would be your `top tip’ for a business looking to engage in environmental sustainability?

Drive the programme from the top of the organisation.

What direct business benefits have you had from implementing environmental measures within the business?

Cost reductions, employee engagement, employee pride.

What personally motivated your journey to tackle climate change?

We live in an incredibly beautiful world which we often ignore and take for granted. Enjoying our natural environment gives me one of the greatest pleasures in life and I want to see it preserved for future generations.

For more information on the 2020 Climate Group visit www.2020climategroup.org.uk

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2011 is off to a roaring start and with spring in the air the team is getting ready for this year’s Report Back season.

As in previous years, Mayday members are being asked directly by HRH Prince Charles, see above, to measure and report their business’s carbon emissions as a key part of their response to climate change and other environmental challenges.

This year report back will be run through the Mayday website which will make the process much easier and will now be part of the ongoing process of updating your member profile page and sharing best practice. Report Back is launching in May and the team will be standing by to offer assistance as members use the new tool. Watch out for more on this soon.

For a step by step guide please click here

Stay ahead of changing legislation, regulation and see the most up to date environmental publications here.

DEFRA's Consultation - DEFRA's consultation into whether GHG emissions reporting should be made mandatory or stay voluntary is still open for comments. Please submit your views here.
Low Carbon Scotland: Meeting the Emissions Reduction Targets 2010-2022
Driving the Low Carbon Economy - Paper 1: Renewing our Ambitions
Green Your Business for Growth

NetRegs - June Update

Visit our Publications Page for all of the latest Environmental publications from Scottish Government, Zero Waste Scotland, the Energy saving Trust and the Carbon Trust

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Working with our partners we are able to provide comprehensive events calendar helping our members achieve savings in areas such as waste, transport and energy.

This month's highlights are:

Hotspots in a cool market – getting a quick picture and fast response to energy saving opportunities - 30th June, Webinar
European real estate energy costs are projected to increase by a challenging 50% over the next 20 years. This webinar will present the findings from a 2degrees survey of a large number of European real estate asset managers, and will show the different ways that managers are responding to rapidly changing energy prices, regulations and retrofit technologies.
Leadership Skills for a Sustainable Economy - 19th July, Webinar
To enable the potential of business to play a lead role in moving towards a sustainable economy, it is critical that individuals at every level in all types of businesses are equipped with the skills they need to take action.
Meeting the Challenges Climate Change Presents to Scotland’s Historic Environment - 28th - 29th July, Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire
The Scottish Traditional Skills Training Centre is presenting a two day education/training programme directed towards providing participants with highly useful information, as well as practical advice and guidance, concerning the interventions required in order to meet the Challenges Climate Change Presents to Scotland’s Historic Environment.

2011 Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland Awards (VIBES) - various dates, visit www.vibes.org.uk
The VIBES Awards are open to any Scottish based business that contributes to the sustainable development of Scotland in some way. If you have taken an effective approach to environmental improvement and sustainable development you could be eligible for a VIBES award.

For more information on more environmental events in Scotland Click here to see our Events Calendar

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There are a number of potential economic benefits arising from a low carbon economy:

100% of Scottish electricity demand to come from renewable sources by 2020;
11% of Scotland's heat to come from renewable sources by 2020;
A 12% reduction in total final energy consumption by 2020;
Household energy efficiency could save consumers a cumulative £8.5bn in their fuel bills by 2050;
Motorists could save £300m a year in reduced fuel costs by "eco-driving";
Farmers could save up to £464 million by 2022 in business efficiencies.

(Low Carbon Scotland: The Draft Report on Proposals and Policies)

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Scottish Business in the Community

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Mayday Update June 2011

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