This week I was delighted and proud that many of the Chambers’ team attended a carbon literacy course through Staffordshire Business & Environment Network (SBEN) leading to the award of the Carbon Literature Citizen Certificate.
Throughout the day, the training majored on understanding your own personal carbon footprint and its impact, enabling staff with the knowledge and confidence to be able to advise businesses about reducing carbon emissions.
This is now one of the most important topics businesses are facing and the training will ensure that we can help deliver carbon neutrality/net-zero for our Staffordshire businesses as well as for our own organisation.
This is not an abstract issue. We all need to act now as the world continues to warm. We must reduce carbon emissions for ourselves our children, our businesses and our planet.
If you haven’t come across SBEN yet, then I would recommend you do so. Launched in 1992 they exist to support organisations to achieve long term sustainability and maximise their business opportunities through innovative environmental activity. They are a membership organisation, entitling members to subsidised and free initiatives from within their portfolio.
For the past thirty years they have provided practical advice on developing and implementing environmental policies as well as promoting examples of good environmental practice through training, counselling and consultancy. It also provides practical advice on developing and implementing environmental policies as well as promoting examples of good environmental practice.
If environmental considerations do not affect you today, they surely will tomorrow. Supply chain pressure coupled with stakeholder expectations and the continuous stream of environmental legislation is impacting every business.
More information on SBEN and the course can be found on the SBEN website: Home – Staffordshire Business & Environment Network (sben.co.uk)
You can calculate your current carbon footprint at: https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/
Monthly Economic Review:
As we are already one week into May, it’s time to reflect on April’s economic data. With UK inflation continuing to increase causing a further squeeze on household finances, the deteriorating economic outlook risks weakening labour market conditions by impacting recruitment and limiting firms’ availability to increase wages and invest in their staff.
April’s data has suggested that the UK is entering a period of considerably weaker growth due to rising inflation, surging energy bills and higher taxes which consequently damage UK output. It is critical that the Government provides more financial support through the expansion of the energy bills rebate scheme, including small firms and energy-intensive businesses as well as introducing an SME energy price cap to protect smaller firms from some of the price increases.
Through our quarterly business forums, we are able to engage with our members about consumer and business confidence, both of which have remained low during the first quarter of this year. Without an immediate response from the Government addressing the price rises for businesses and consumers, weakening confidence will further limit discretionary spending, therefore impacting business growth and the global competitiveness of UK firms.
You can find out more about our business forums by emailing Rhouda.elalfy@staffordshirechambers.co.uk or you can register to attend the next forum by visiting our events calendar here: https://staffordshirechambers.co.uk/shop/events/.
If you want to talk to us about any business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk
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