Scottish companies make over £7m efficiency savings
Scottish Enterprise helped over 200 Scottish companies save more than £7million and 50,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions by improving efficiencies last year – the equivalent of taking over 9,000 cars off the road.
Helping companies to create efficiencies and to tap into new sustainable business opportunities is key as Scotland works towards becoming a low carbon economy.
Scottish Enterprise has been working closely with companies through activities such as sustainability events & training, lean management workshops and the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service.
The results were announced ahead of Base Glasgow, an event which focuses on Glasgow's transformation to a low carbon economy. The Base Glasgow programme invites companies to look at how new low carbon technologies and sustainable practices in areas such as construction, property, transport, energy and waste can be used to meet climate change targets and create new economic opportunities.
The Technology Strategy Board, the UK's innovation agency, estimates that £6.5 trillion will be invested globally in city infrastructure over the next 10 to 15 years. Of this, the accessible market for companies developing future city systems is estimated to be worth £200 billion a year by 2030.
Scottish Enterprise is running a business breakfast seminar at Base Glasgow to specifically highlight new business opportunities such as these for Scottish companies, as cities increasingly invest in smarter ways of managing their energy, waste and transport systems.
John Crawford, Scottish Enterprise strategy & development manager said:
“We know that the average business wastes 20 per cent of the energy it uses, and measures to tackle this could have a significant impact on a company’s bottom line.
“Working with companies to improve resource efficiency and adopt new low carbon ways of working is a key way of helping increase productivity and growth.
“In addition, there are significant economic opportunities for companies to generate revenue by developing new technologies, products and services which support the development of sustainability. Activity such as this will play a key role as Scotland works towards its target of being a truly low carbon economy.”
To register for free for Scottish Enterprise’s breakfast event visit http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/events/2013/11/base-glasgow.aspx. Breakfast event guests will be entitled to an all-day delegate pass for Base Glasgow and will be able to join the plenary and breakout sessions, networking, lunch, tours of the SSE Hydro and drinks reception at the end of the day.
Discussion topics will include emerging international business opportunities are as cities invest in smarter ways of managing their energy, waste, water and transport systems and how cities can develop the ‘investor ready’ low carbon infrastructure projects .
Speakers will include David Leven - Scottish Enterprise, Andy Pearson - Star Refrigeration, Calum Murray - CCG and Morten Jordt Duedahl – Danish District Energy Partnership.