Of all the businessEs I saw at the Brighton & Hove Business show in October, the South East Business Carbon Hub struck me as one of the most useful to help other companies cut costs, cut carbon use and win business.

The online service helps small and medium-sized companies seize opportunities to save money and improve their environmental performance. The South East Business Carbon Hub offers an easy way for companies to measure the carbon emissions of offices, equipment and vehicles; take action to cut costs by cutting carbon; receive accreditation for their environmental performance; and network with like-minded businesses.

It also has free advice from experts, including information on sustainable travel. Their dedicated Sustainable Travel Advisor shows you how easy it is to take effective steps to start tackling this traditionally hard-to-address environmental impact. Carl Ruffell explains: “Through our service, businesses can easily identify the sources of travel emissions using our online commuter surveys and site audits. With our advice and guidance at each step of the way, we can help make business travel miles better”. The bottom line is that ‘good for the environment’ is also good for business. Companies can use the South East Business Carbon Hub to impress customers and suppliers by showing that they care for the environment and to make simple but effective changes to the way they do business.” It costs nothing to join the South East Business Carbon Hub. For more information email carbon.hub@kent.gov.uk and turn a science into an art of living.

As part of the global 10:10 initiative, there is, of course, Brighton and Hove 10:10, which is dedicated to showing that everyone can get involved and that all of our small steps to reduce carbon can collectively make a big impact on our city’s emissions. Use this link to the website to check your own carbon footprint www.brightonandhove1010.org/tools-links

Colette Wilson