Sustainable business expert Envirowise is calling on Scottish businesses to measure their impact on the environment by using its new online toolkit.
The Envirowise Indicator allows businesses, irrespective of their size or industry sector, to gain a useful indication of their company’s environmental impact – and the potential financial savings that can be made by reducing it.
By entering basic data on raw material and utility use, companies are given a visual illustration of the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions being generated by them. Firms can then see which aspects of their business have the biggest CO2 impact, and as a result, are able to plan appropriate actions to address this.
A separate screen reveals the business’ eco-footprint, and at any time, firms can make easy amendments to the data they have entered to see the resulting financial and environmental impacts.
Commenting on the launch of the Indicator, Alan Hendry, Envirowise business manager for Scotland, said: “Envirowise aims to put the sustainable use of resources at the heart of Scottish business. There are several eco indicator and calculator tools out there, but ours analyses the full picture by considering resource inputs and resulting waste volumes.
“While each company will know they use a range of different resources on a day-to-day basis, what they may not be as aware of is the full extent to which each of these resources has a clear environmental impact.
“Companies may not realise that the resources they use and energy they consume require a certain amount of land or sea area to be produced. For instance, food ingredients require land to grow, while gas and electricity require forested land to reabsorb the carbon dioxide caused by producing them. By adding the two together, you get an ecological footprint – and this is something that the Envirowise indicator can give a clear picture of for any local business.
“By using the tool, local businesses are not only able to better understand their own environmental impact and the potential savings they can make, but also help develop the tool for others to benefit from.”
Companies can access the Indicator free of charge by visiting www.envirowise.gov.uk/indicatorscotland, where a videocast is available to help guide users through using the tool. Guidance on all aspects of resource efficiency can be obtained by calling the Envirowise advice line on 0800 585 794.
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Issued on behalf of Envirowise by Trimedia
For further information contact Laura McKenzie at Trimedia on 0131 226 2363.
Notes to Editors
About Envirowise
Envirowise, funded by the Scottish Government, is a programme dedicated to putting the sustainable use of resources at the heart of Scottish business practice.
Since 1994 Envirowise has helped UK businesses save over £1billion by enabling them to significantly reduce their environmental footprints. Envirowise offers businesses of all sizes and sectors a wide range of free, independent and practical advice designed to genuinely improve their processes, profitability and competitiveness. Services include:
- The Envirowise Advice Line on 0800 585794
- An encyclopaedic website (www.envirowise.gov.uk/scotland) of valuable and relevant information
- On-site visits conducted by a nationwide team of expert advisors (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland only)
- Over 200 events each year, from product design workshops to major exhibitions