Sustainability Webinars

Business Energy Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government to provide free, impartial support and access to funding to help small and medium-sized enterprises save energy, carbon and money.

 On Thursday 25 January, we heard from Kasia Nathan & Ryan Felber, Business Energy Advisors for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire and Inverness. Kasia and Ryan outlined the energy-saving support and funding that is available right now to help you tackle rising energy costs.

During this session we

• Learnt how you can help your business minimise the impact of rising energy costs and reduce your carbon footprint.
• Found out about the interest-free loans available to Scottish SMEs – currently with up to £30k cashback grants
• Learnt about the fully funded, expert consultancy advice and support available to SMEs.
• Found out how you can grow a greener, more competitive business.
• Heard about businesses that have already acted, what they did and how they have benefited.

This webinar took place on Thursday 25 January 2024. This video was made using Filmora.

The move to a net zero economy is already happening, bringing both opportunities and challenges to businesses. 

The Scottish Government has set a 2045 target for net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases with a reduction of 75% by 2030 and 90% by 2040.

The destination strategy for Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire – ‘A Framework for Growth, 2022 – 2030’ notes that tourism generates spend, supports businesses, and jobs, and brings vibrancy to city, towns and villages. It can and should play a significant role in the future success and sustainability of the region’s economy and quality of life. This will mean actively contributing to the regional and national transition to a net zero economy – not only helping to meet targets, but also meeting customer expectations.

 Tiomóid Foley, VisitScotland’s Net Zero Manager, joined us to explain tourism businesses can get started and reduce their emissions, increase efficiency, reduce costs, build resilience, and manage risks, as well as meet the increasing consumer demand for sustainability.

This webinar took place on Tuesday 21 November. This video was made using Filmora.

The scale of food waste is staggering. The equivalent of one in every six meals served by settings in Scotland is thrown away, costing the Scottish hospitality industry a whopping £10,000 per venue per year.

During this webinar, we heard from Gerry Boyle, Hospitality Partner at Zero Waste Scotland, who outlined a newly launched four-week challenge to help you measure your current food waste, and develop an action plan to make reductions and grow profits.

During the webinar we covered:

• The impact of food waste on the food service sector and the environment

• Financial benefits of food waste reduction

• Tools and interventions to reduce waste

• Additional support available from Zero Waste Scotland

Tackling food waste is one of the easiest things we can all do for the environment...when we know how.

This webinar was recorded on 10 October 2023. This video was made using Filmora.

Managing your carbon footprint more effectively can be better not just for the planet, but also for your bottom line.

In this webinar we were joined by sustainable tourism accreditation provider, Green Tourism, who provided an insight into net zero, greenhouse gases and managing your businesses’ carbon footprint. We learnt what the emissions are and where they arise in your business, how to calculate your carbon footprint and where and how you can reduce your emissions.

This webinar took place on Thursday 16 March. 

This video was made on Filmora.

Did you know that 71% of travelers want to make more effort in 2023 to travel more sustainably, according to Booking.com’s 2022 Sustainable Travel Report?

With increasing numbers of visitors making sustainability a critical part of their buying decision, it is important to consider what you can do to offer the sustainable experience that visitors are seeking. In addition, many of the steps that you may take to help protect our planet, can also help you reduce your business costs.

In this webinar, we heard from sustainable tourism accreditation provider, Green Tourism, who provided practical hints and tips on how you can get started, or make further development on your sustainability journey.

This webinar was delivered on 2 March 2023. This video was made on Filmora

This was the second webinar in our sustainable tourism series, delivered by Green Tourism. It explored customer expectations in relation to sustainability and how to market your green achievements. Watch the webinar recording to hear about current trends influencing customer interest and demand for sustainability, how to engage and involve your customers in your sustainability journey and top tips for content, hashtags and key words to use to improve your search rankings and help visitors looking for sustainable travel options to find you.

This was the third in our sustainable tourism webinar series, delivered by Green Tourism. It explored how businesses can identify and implement changes that can lead to becoming more energy and water efficient, reduce waste and save money.

This was the final webinar in our sustainable tourism series, delivered in partnership with Green Tourism. It explored how you can develop and implement your own sustainability strategy, policy and action plan. Watch the recording of the webinar to help you identify and understand how to set up a sustainability strategy and SMART action plan, and how to develop your own sustainability policy relevant for your business and customers. Also, find out about the importance of greening your supply chain and how to involve your suppliers in your sustainability journey. You will also learn how to develop a framework for improvement and how to monitor and measure your achievements. 

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