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The university team recently attended a volunteer day at Summerwood Community Garden to learn more about the way to reduce carbon emissions

The Corporate Sustainability Program provides practical support and funding to reduce the carbon footprint of eligible SMEs in Nottingham.

This includes a subsidy towards the costs of hiring a university graduate who is committed to sustainability, a CO2 audit, workshops and expert advice on waste prevention.

And the university team is leading by example, recently attending a volunteer day at Summerwood Community Garden to learn more about the path to reducing carbon emissions.

The “Sustainability in Companies” program is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund

“As governments, cities and businesses around the world work towards carbon neutrality and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the Sustainability in Enterprise program aims to promote sustainable growth in businesses and the local economy,” said Kate Ling, program director .

“Volunteer Day with NTU’s sustainability team was a perfect opportunity for the Sustainability in Enterprise team to shake off the cobwebs of remote work and meet colleagues in person for the first time.

“We are determined to go the way, so we have many other ways in which we can reduce our own carbon emissions from running this project, including helping local community organizations during the two-year funded project.”

Summerwood Community Garden, home of the local Blue Barrel Cider, is a community organization that encourages and enables local people to live more sustainably. It relies on volunteers to assist with vital tasks such as caring for the wormers that produce compost from food waste and their organic orchards and vegetable gardens.

Volunteer Day together with NTU’s sustainability team was a perfect opportunity to shake off the cobwebs of remote work and meet colleagues face-to-face for the first time

The road to net zero carbon emissions

The UK government’s roadmap to net zero by 2050 and Nottingham City Council’s commitment to carbon neutrality Nottingham 2028 have set ambitious carbon emissions targets – and businesses must respond to them to reduce risk and remain competitive.

To achieve these goals, NTU has partnered with the University of Nottingham and Nottingham City Council to provide free sustainability support to local SMEs. The institutions also work with local Nottinghamshire authorities and strategic partners including the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce and the Federation for Small Businesses.

The Sustainability in Enterprise project focuses on four key areas of corporate performance: people, products, processes and space.

Summerwood Community Garden, home of the local Blue Barrel Cider, is a community organization that encourages and enables local people to live more sustainably

Eligible companies can receive a 20 percent grant toward the cost of hiring a college graduate for a 12-month internship to become a sustainability champion within the NTU’s fully-funded Early Career Advancement Program, the Sustainability Community Lab Corporate can be.

The Sustainability Community Lab is designed to equip graduates with the knowledge and tools to lead a sustainability project that improves workplace practices and processes.

The Sustainability in Enterprise project focuses on four key areas of corporate performance: people, products, processes and space

SMEs can be supported by NTU’s commercial product design team and benefit from their solution-oriented approach and expertise. The team performs a free life cycle analysis to determine the carbon footprint of each product, followed by advice on how to avoid waste, reduce carbon emissions, and achieve higher productivity and innovation.

A second life cycle analysis is then carried out in order to achieve a quantifiable reduction in the associated carbon emissions.

Companies are given a sustainability audit to understand their current carbon footprint and advice on how to improve sustainability and reduce that impact in a quantifiable way.

Recommendations can include work on implementing ISO14001, developing an environmental management system, and regulatory compliance. NTU can also offer employees internal training. This is complemented by free advice from senior year students at Nottingham Business School, which focuses on carbon reduction, and the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, which focuses on space improvement.

In addition to the above business advisory services, Eligible Companies can apply for a 40 percent grant up to a maximum of £ 5,000 to fund business process and facility improvements. Fully funded carbon management workshops are also offered, giving employees hands-on support to embed specific aspects of low-carbon and sustainable practices across their organization.

The support offered includes a grant towards the cost of hiring a university graduate who is committed to sustainability, a carbon audit, workshops and expert advice on reducing waste

Does your company qualify?

The Sustainability in Companies program is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The ERDF helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects that support innovation, business, create jobs and regenerate local communities.

Support is only available to SMEs based in Greater Nottingham (SUDS).

SMEs are defined as:

– less than 250 employees

– Annual turnover below EUR 50 million OR

– an annual balance of less than EUR 43 million