Published every week, this series shows how companies and sustainability professionals are working to achieve ‘Mission Possible’ across the campaign’s five main pillars – Energy, Resources, Infrastructure and Mobility And the Leadership.
Across the UK and the world, leading businesses, cities, countries and regions are working to turn environmental ambitions into action. Here, we round up five positive sustainability stories from this week.
energy: BT signs virtual PPA agreement for Scottish wind farm
Photo: BayWa re
Telecom giant BT has signed a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) with BayWare that will support a 45MW onshore wind power project in Scotland.
A ten-year VPPA will see BT purchase 80% of the production of the Dalquhandy wind farm in South Lanarkshire. In a VPPA, the company’s buyer is not actually responsible for the electricity deduction, so BT will receive REGO certificates associated with the generation.
BT and BayWa previously worked together on a power purchase agreement. In 2014, the company signed a power purchase agreement for the 30MW Stroupster project in the Scottish Highlands.
“As one of the largest private buyers of electricity in the UK, [this] The announcement underscores our commitment to using 100% renewable electricity worldwide as markets allow and sends a clear signal to the market that renewable energy is a key enabler to reach net zero by 2050 in the UK, said BT Group Chief Procurement Officer, Cyril Porat.
Sources: Starbucks allocates £1.4 million to repackage innovators in the UK
Photo: Hubbub
Starbucks UK has announced seven projects to take a share of its “bring it back” fund, which was launched in an effort to support innovative reuse solutions for food and beverage packaging. The money was raised through the coffee chain’s fee on single-use paper cups, which Starbucks had originally planned to allocate £1 million, but increased the funding to £1.4 million as it received several high-quality applications.
Environmental charity Hubbub helped Starbucks UK allocate the fund. The projects were selected for a stake spanning from South London to Bradford, Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands.
Funding is provided for projects that operate within various parts of the reuse and refill economy, including container cleaning, RFID-enabled container tracking, and consumer behavior change research.
Alex Rayner, general manager of Starbucks UK said: “It is important to us as a company that we continue to drive innovation across the industry, as we work to increase reusability and inspire greater uptake of reusable materials in local communities across the UK.”
Mobility: Clean Future Mobility Center opens in Exeter
Lockdowns aside, the transport sector has been the UK’s most emitting sector since 2016. This makes it a major challenge on the road to net zero.
The University of Exeter is seeking to help solve this challenge, as it has opened a “new Center for Clean Mobility of the Future” in Exeter Science Park. The facility will be used to conduct research and development projects led by academics from the university, often involving private sector partners. The transportation sub-sectors covered by the center’s work are marine, off-road, rail, and defense. There will also be a focus on upgrading energy systems to meet new forms of transportation.
The center was developed with grant funding of £2 million from the heart of the local foundation partnership in the South West.
Vice Chancellor Lisa Roberts said: “As a research-intensive university, one of our main tasks is to work with our partners to lead meaningful action against the climate emergency and environmental crisis. CFCM pushes boundaries and boundaries to find innovative solutions to make our roads, rail, sea and air carbon-neutral. Through Partnership With companies and foundations, their work is making a real difference to the future of our planet, and most importantly, it fuels economic growth at the same time.”
Built environment: Ibstock hosts Supplier Participation Day as BAM sets a net zero goal
On Monday (October 3), Eddie covered news that BAM Bank in the UK and Ireland has set a 2026 net-zero target. The target’s scope covers all direct (Scope 1) and energy-related (Scope 2) emissions, as well as some Scope 3 emissions where the company believes they have a “significant impact”.
In another positive sign for climate action in the UK’s built environment sector, brick maker Ibstock hosted a supply chain engagement day attended by 30 suppliers who have a “significant material impact” on Scope 3 emissions, including CEMEX, Aggregate Industries and Berry.
Nearly a third of the business’ emissions footprint is in scope 3, which makes supplier engagement critical to achieving its 2040 net goal. The day saw suppliers gain information on how to better measure and reduce their emissions, and collaborate to identify business opportunities together.
“Getting together to discuss the sustainability challenges we face across our supply chain is an important part of our joint decarbonization journey,” said Joe Fox, Director of Procurement at Epstock Group. “We can only succeed by building a mutual understanding of opportunities for change.”
Business leadership: Leeds lowers business rates for purpose-driven companies
Research published in September revealed that B Corp-certified and other purpose-led businesses in the UK are better positioned to weather tough economic conditions in 2022 and 2023, and are more likely to support employees and suppliers.
It is welcome news, then, that Leeds City Council has launched a new business price relief scheme for SMEs which it rates as ‘making a positive contribution to inclusive growth’.
Social enterprises, companies with social and/or civil purposes, and SMEs in the first three years of trading will need to provide the discounted rate. They will also need to sign a pledge of corporate responsibility, and a commitment to improving skills and employment in the community. The board hopes these companies will use the savings to ease pressures on operating costs or invest in innovation and research and development.
“The scheme directly supports the Council’s overall growth strategy, by supporting businesses in creating and retaining good jobs in the face of current economic pressures,” said Cllr Member of the Economics, Culture and Education Executive Board, Cllr Jonathan Pryor.
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Originally published at San Jose News Bulletin
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