Last Friday Marion Turner-Hawes, WCAP project leader, was invited by Wellingborough and East Northants Chamber of Commerce to join it’s Climate and Environment themed summer get-together. Over 40 business leaders heard presentations from Stanwick Lakes, Cranfield University, Rushden Lakes and Wellingborough Climate Action Project (WCAP).
The WCAP presentation focused on showing business the enormous challenges we face in tackling the Climate Emergency and the practical actions people and business can start to take to respond positively and transition to more sustainable ways of living and working. In the sessions Marion spoke about:
- Wellingborough Climate Action Project and the work we are doing over this 12 months
- The global challenges we all face (for people and business)
- What a ‘transitioned’ sustainable community could look like and showed this film.
- What and how local business can take action and ‘do its bit’, as well as the opportunities that could arise when we do.
- The role local business can play to partner with local residents to create community solutions
- Creating a joint ‘Community Investment Fund’ where local firms can donate finance, time or skills to a ‘community pot’ to help those on the lowest incomes take action and ‘green’ their lives
The response from attendees was inspiring, with many business owners coming over to share their stories and contact details, being really keen to hear and do more about the actions they can take. Government does not require small and medium size business to take climate action (formally) however, many SME’s owners are doing this and others are keen to begin and do what they can.
In the presentation from Claire Spencer from Cranfield University, she went into a lot more detail about the benefits of taking action for business owners, adding to the sense of ‘we need to hear and do more’ from many event attendees.
One business owner, Richard, said he is passionate about the importance of taking climate action and offered his support to the project. He is also keen to support the emerging Community Investment Fund idea (for Wellingborough and perhaps surrounding areas), where local residents and business can donate to a community held fund designed to help people and communities start to make changes and help those who are most vulnerable to prices rises and climate impacts, afford their own climate solutions, (ie – improving insulation, installing solar systems or exploring heat pumps).
Simon Cox, from NNBN (North Northamptonshire Business Network) is looking to arrange more opportunities for business to learn and take action on climate change. We hope to agree some and update you here. Do join our sustainability workshops which are happening fortnightly on Thursday evenings (via zoom.) Our next session is on Thursday 28th July at 7pm and is about Sustainable Homes and Business Premises, and more specifically what you will need to think about if you wish to retrofit your home (or business). You can register for any of these free-sessions here.
