Boosting sustainability in business

Eight in the morning is, for some people, way too early for a business conference. Luckily, for the people attending our Business Sustainability event, the free coffee, fruit pots and pastries on offer compensate for this.

Half an hour later, the over twenty attendees are ready to get going, and the low buzz of chatter dies down.

Presenting are speakers from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and Leeds City Council. Though the journey to net-zero can be difficult to navigate - especially for smaller enterprises, which make up 50% of all business emissions - these pioneering West Yorkshire organisations have taken it upon themselves to take bold steps towards a sustainable future. Both have set up various green strategies alongside government initiatives to help smaller businesses become sustainable and efficient, in a bid for West Yorkshire to achieve its goal of being net-zero by 2038.

Vincent McCabe from the WYCA introduced us to his organisation's efforts to work alongside smaller enterprises to measure their impact on the environment and put into action plans to become more eco-friendly. Speaker Dawn O’Keefe from the Leeds-based social enterprise Shine shared her success in using WYCA’s strategies to bounce back from the pandemic whilst striving for net-zero. In just 10 months, her company’s spending on electricity usage decreased by 30%, with many of the strategies she put into place being simple, swift, and even completely free.

With sustainability such a core focus for the future, businesses are recognising that new ideas are needed to thrive. Yvonne Appleyard from Leeds City Council attended to explain their efforts to recruit and uplift the next generation. From helping small business to start up, to inspiring and informing youth from deprived areas, Leeds City Council runs a wide range of services and programmes to create opportunity here in Leeds. Janice Dye from C-Capture, an exciting start-up business conducting valuable research into carbon-reducing technologies of the future, discussed her company’s ongoing journey of growth with the aid of Leeds City Council’s services and support.

The Knowledge Exchange itself offers specialised programmes, as speaker Anne-Marie Gallagher points out, aimed at helping small businesses prosper and gain competitive advantages, including opportunities to become eco-friendlier and more efficient. Inspired Pet Nutrition, an award-winning Thirsk-based pet food company (and the first UK pet food company to become carbon-negative) worked with the Knowledge Exchange as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership and is a prime example of the growth that comes with doing so.

The Knowledge Exchange has always been committed to innovation.  From hosting trailblazing organisations, to offering amazing support to start-up enterprises, it has worked tirelessly to help the world of business flourish.

The presentations have wrapped up, and the room is once again filled with smiles, clinking plates, and the low buzz of chatter. Most of the attendees are small business owners, striving to reach their full potential and make a difference in their companies and communities.

Undoubtedly, today has given many a lot to think about in terms of the green future of business, and the countless opportunities up for grabs.

Find more about WYCA’s Sustainability – West Yorkshire Business and Skills Support and Leeds City Council’s Inclusive Growth Support.

If you missed this event, you can join us online on Thursday 26 October, 08:30 - 09:30 or in person in The Knowledge Exchange on Thursday 23 November, 08:00 - 10:00.

Top image: Dawn O'Keefe, Director of Shine