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Huge opportunities for SMEs to save energy

3rd November 201721st December 2017 By admin Comment Closed

Huge opportunities for SMEs to save energy A survey recently by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) looked into how businesses have been managing their energy consumption. They found that only 9% of SMEs had ever conducted energy audits on the business, while 69% of large companies had. The numbers ranged from 7% for sole traders to 84% of organisations with >1,000 employees. This shows that there are huge opportunities for SMEs, particularly, to save energy & therefore save money. I have found that businesses are put off conducting energy audits because they think they’ll just be told to spend lots of money - that the recommendations will all be about putting in solar panels or other expensive kit. My approach to energy audits, however, is to look at not only technological options, but also at behavioural & operational changes which can often be no-cost or low-cost activities for quick results. Back to the BEIS survey, of those SMEs that had done an...

My Why – Why I am an Environmental Consultant

25th October 201729th April 2018 By admin Comment Closed

My Why I'm reading a lot of business books at the moment - strategy, marketing, sales & psychology. The latest is putting the WHY into our business…. in developing our strategy, we should Start with Why. For me it's about improving the environment. I was mesmerised by the wonderful David Attenborough when I was a kid. I knew it was my calling - to improve the environment ... & to make a living out of it! - Diverse ecosystems - beautiful places to visit & of course to live. - Healthy air, healthy people. - Fabulous plants & creatures. - You don't have to travel far & wide to see beautiful things. The world is an amazing place & we all have to look after it. My consultancy Eshcon puts the environment at the core of business. Indeed it is my mission to make environmental management the business norm. I didn’t want to change the world by being an environmental campaigner. I wanted to do it in more pragmatic...

Increases in ISO 14001 numbers

20th October 201721st December 2017 By admin Comment Closed

Increases in ISO 14001 numbers Each year the International Standards Organisation releases the results their research on take-up of ISO standards across the world. This year follows past upwards trends. As usual the Quality standard ISO 9001 dominates the scene with over 1 million certificates in 2016 (current certificates, not just issued that year) - 1,106,356 up by 7%. ISO 14001, the standard for environmental management, is the second most widely used with 346,189 certificates worldwide. This saw an 8% increase over the last year. China has the most ISO 14001 certificates by far with 137,230, with Japan & Italy following with 27,372 and 26,655 respectively. This year the United Kingdom is down slightly (6%) & slipped one place in the league table to fourth, with 16,761 certificates. It could be that this slight decrease is due to companies not knowing how to implement the latest version of the standard, ISO 14001:2015. Talking to certification bodies, they’ve told me that companies are worried about how...

5 Top Tips on Writing an Environmental Policy

12th October 201721st December 2017 By admin Comment Closed

5 Top Tips on Writing an Environmental Policy Your Environmental Policy is a written statement, signed by senior management, which outlines your organisation’s commitment to managing its environmental impacts. Unlike H&S policies, there is no legal requirement for organisations to have an adopted environmental policy. However, it is essential if you want to implement an ISO 14001 EMS. It's also vital if you work with large organisations who often ask for EMS certification and info on your environmental improvements. There is no standard content for an environmental policy, although they often contain the same themes; plus there are specific requirements within ISO 14001. Top Tips -1- The policy is meant for everyone to see, so make sure it's easy to read and understand - not too dry or filled with jargon. -2- Make it realistic, achievable and relevant to your activities and practices. Readers should be able to understand what your main impacts are and how you are committed to managing them. -3- It...

Roffey Park’s ISO 14001 Success

10th October 201710th October 2017 By admin Comment Closed

Roffey Park’s ISO 14001 Success I am pleased to say that another of my clients has successfully recertified to ISO 14001 - Roffey Park Institute is an internationally renowned leadership institute based near Horsham, operating across the UK and in Singapore. The Environmental Management Systems (EMS) is used to manage impacts, reduce risk, identify opportunities for cost savings and address customers’ needs. Key achievements include paper usage down by 22% this past year, electricity by 16% and oil consumption has fallen dramatically since the installation of a ground source heat pump. The extensive grounds are well managed and the kitchen garden even grows fruit and veg for the restaurant (see picture above). The new ISO 14001 standard has extra requirements, including a strong focus on leadership and alignment to the business strategy. Eshcon guided Roffey Park through the transition process starting with an ISO 14001 Gap Analysis, improving the EMS documentation, conducting the internal audits & attending the certification. With a change of staff...

EMS – Going a bit further…

9th October 201722nd November 2017 By admin Comment Closed

EMS - Going a bit further… What I like about networking is meeting new businesses & chatting about them, their activities, challenges & opportunities. We talk about the work I do & I often hear about their own environmental activities. It’s pleasing to hear how companies are recycling their waste or using low energy lighting. They are beginning to see the benefits that putting the environment into the business generates. But they realise they’re not as successful as they could be. Energy prices are still spiralling. Legal issues keep cropping up. Customers want more & more information. Staff don’t seem to be engaged. What they haven’t realised is that putting in an Environmental Management System can help address these problems. It gives the structure to manage impacts, find efficiencies & savings, get staff involved & communicate with their stakeholders. Seeing as most companies get started on the environment because their customers demand it, it makes sense to put in an Environmental Management System &...

What are The Global Goals?

14th September 201722nd November 2017 By admin Comment Closed

The SDGs: what are they & why should we care? Hopefully you should be becoming aware of The Global Goals - the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals - but what are they & why should we care? Myles Wickstead CBE is an expert on international development, a Visiting Professor at King’s College London, was British Ambassador to Ethiopia and was Head of Secretariat to the Commission for Africa. Myles wrote a great article a year ago on the SDGs. Here it is in full and I'll summarise a few of his key points below to give you an introduction. At a UN Summit in late September 2015, Governments signed up to a document called: ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’. It contains a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), supported by 169 targets and many more indicators. The 17 SDGs are shown in this diagram. If all these goals and targets are too much to remember, think 'P'. The key elements...

ESOS – The Challenges Last Time

14th September 201718th March 2018 By admin Comment Closed

ESOS – The Challenges Last Time I am Lead ESOS Assessor and was very busy during the first round of ESOS (the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme legislation). Some of my clients started nice & early, but many came to me very late so I had to work extra hard to get everything done for them in time. Indeed, many companies only started to look at ESOS a couple of months before the deadline, so there was a huge rush and a lot of frayed nerves. Apart from the lack of assessors & short timescales, I noticed trends from ESOS Phase 1. I’m sharing these now, so that hopefully Phase 2 can run more smoothly for you. These are the sorts of challenges I saw: Company structure – this could be a problem, particularly for large groups with complicated ownership structures. Find all the companies in a group, the company registration numbers, all the sites, who is the Board member to sign off. Missed companies – although...

Student Mentoring

1st September 20171st February 2018 By admin Comment Closed

Student-Business Mentoring Scheme It's been a while since I left university & went into the world of business. I have over 20 years of experience in the environmental management sector. I enjoy what I do & get satisfaction from helping my clients improve. And it occurred to me that I had experience that I could share with others, perhaps younger people starting out on their career. So when the Head of the School of Business, Management and Economics at the University of Sussex asked me to become a Student Mentor, I thought that would be a great opportunity. Sussex runs a program linking local business people with their students. The idea is to share experience, the things we've learned along the way. This is particularly good for me, returning to my old Uni. I was linked with a young woman studying economics. At our first meeting we completed the Mentoring Wheel diagram. On each spoke of the wheel, an issue or area that was important...

What does my logo mean?

1st September 201722nd November 2017 By admin Comment Closed

What does my logo mean? This last month I've been working on my business not just in my business. I've redesigned my website (it's looking nice and fresh now). I've been thinking about marketing strategy. And I've even revisited my logo. As you know I am an environmental management consultant. I work with businesses to manage their impacts, reduce risk, save money and find commercial benefits. Indeed, my mission is to make environmental management the business norm. I often talk about putting the environment into the heart of the business. I don't want it to be an add-on. It should be part of core business operations. That's how you get the true benefits. I have redesigned my logo recently. It hasn't changed much, except the colouring & accents. You'll notice the green 'o' - this represents the green world, within the core of the business. That's what Eshcon is all about. Making environmental management straight forward for you to put it into your business so you...

ESOS Phase 2

30th August 201721st January 2018 By admin Comment Closed

Getting Started on ESOS Phase 2 Are you getting on with ESOS? We are now in the Phase 2 compliance period and, although the deadline of 5th December 2019 may seem a long way off, you should now be thinking about the compliance process. ESOS (the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme) is a mandatory energy assessment scheme for large organisations in the UK. ESOS requires you to Measure your total energy consumption Conduct audits to identify cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities Report compliance to the Environment Agency. The Agency is urging organisations to act early to help avoid disruption & enforcement action, also to unlock the financial savings brought by greater energy efficiency. You may choose to conduct energy audits of your sites or choose an alternative route, such as an ISO 50001 Energy Management System. Start gathering your data now - you’ll need to show energy consumption for a 12 month period covering 31st December 2018. I am a Lead ESOS assessor, which need to be involved...

ISO 14001 Countdown

ISO 14001 Countdown

25th July 201723rd December 2017 By admin Comment Closed

Countdown to ISO 14001 Many businesses have put in an Environmental Management System (EMS) to manage impacts, reduce costs & increase efficiency. It can help win business too, as many customers expect their suppliers to have one in place. If your EMS is certified to the international standard, you need to update it to the new ISO 14001:2015 standard by September 2018. See here for more details of the main requirements of the new standard. Here are my top tips for the countdown to the ISO 14001 deadline: 5 - Mind the Gap Start with a Gap Analysis of your current EMS to find out where you need to focus your attention. 4 - Don’t Do it Alone You may be isolated, so engage with colleagues from across the organisation & senior management to get a leadership boost. 3 - Know your Risks & Opportunities Use a PESTLE Analysis to help plan your strategy; it’s important to know the risks & opportunities facing your business in the future. 2 -...

Awards winning tips

Awards winning tips

19th July 201721st December 2017 By admin Comment Closed

Tips on How to Win Awards - A View from the Judges' Table What's the best way to promote your company's achievements on the local, regional or national stage? There are many, many business awards around now; do you take advantage of them? Just entering an award scheme has many benefits. It’s an excellent learning experience & satisfying too putting the application together - show the best parts of your business & share your achievements. Also it’s a good opportunity to look outwards, at the competition, what customers are looking for, what best practice is. Position yourself as a leader. At the awards ceremony, finalists get their name up on screen in front of the numerous guests. Why not bring your staff along to say thank you for their hard work? For the winners - not just a glittering trophy, it’s the prestige, the recognition for all of the company & it’s great to be able to use the strapline ‘award winning company’. I've...

Global Goals

Global Goals

11th July 201721st December 2017 By admin Comment Closed

Making Global Goals Local Business I attended a seminar recently with the United Nations on The Global Goals - the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs. The Goals are going to transform our world, so creating opportunities for businesses to use new models, deliver new products & services into new markets. The 17 SDGs have been adopted by the UK & the other 192 Member States of the UN. They call for economic growth, innovation, affordable energy & upgraded infrastructure, as well as providing a path to end extreme poverty, fighting inequality & protecting the environment. The Goals are to be adopted and delivered by governments, partnerships, businesses & individuals - relevant at the national, regional and local level. Environmental management compliments well many of the Goals. This is clear in areas like Goal 13 Climate Action & Goal 11 Sustainable Cities & Communities. But it is also integral to Goal 8 Good Jobs & Economic Growth, Goal 3 Good Health and Goal 12...

Green Growth 2017

Green Growth 2017

22nd February 20175th November 2020 By admin Comment Closed

Green Growth 2017 - Report from the Chair I was very pleased to chair the recent Green Growth 17 Conference in Brighton. Green Growth 17 was organised by the Green Growth Platform, an initiative run by the University of Brighton to promote the environmental & low carbon sector. Zoe Osmond, Director, told us that since starting in June 2014, the GGP has attracted 740 members – a mixture of supplier of environmental products & services, & other businesses who wish to improve their environmental management. 130 new green sector jobs have been created, plus 70 students & graduates are working with members, on projects, research & marketing. The objective of Green Growth 17 was to inspire & enable members to connect, innovate & grow. Slides from the conference speakers are available, but I thought I’d share some of the key points I noted during the day. Tara Dean, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Brighton gave the welcome, sharing some of the UoB’s...

Eshcon Factsheets (no download needed)

13th October 201317th September 2025 By Anya Ledwith Comment Closed

Eshcon Factsheets (no download needed) Net Zero Factsheet Your 5 step journey to Net Zero. Click here - Eshcon Factsheet - Net Zero Data Verification Factsheet Have your data and carbon calculations verified. Clicker her - Eshcon Factsheet - Verification ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems EMS Factsheet An introduction to Environmental Management Systems, the benefits and requirements for the standard ISO 14001. Click here - Eshcon Factsheet - ISO 14001 EMS SECR - Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting Factsheet Large companies must include energy and carbon data in their Annual Reports – find out more here. Click here - Eshcon Factsheet - SECR ESOS - Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme Large companies must conduct energy audits and report to the regulator every four years – see here for what you need to do now. Click here - Eshcon Factsheet - ESOS ...

Download Eshcon Calculator

13th October 201318th February 2022 By Anya Ledwith Comment Closed

Download Eshcon Calculator Scope 1 & 2 Calculator Try this simple calculator to understand your Scope 1 & 2 emissions. If you’d like help developing your full carbon footprint, please do get in touch. _____________________ Liked this post? Sign up for the Eshcon Newsletter Blue Skies....

Download Eshcon Factsheets

13th October 201317th September 2025 By Anya Ledwith Comment Closed

Download Eshcon Factsheets Data Verification Factsheet Have your data and carbon calculations verified. Net Zero Factsheet Your 5 step journey to Net Zero. ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems EMS Factsheet An introduction to Environmental Management Systems, the benefits and requirements for the standard ISO 14001. SECR - Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting Factsheet Large companies must include energy and carbon data in their Annual Reports – find out more here. ESOS - Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme Large companies must conduct energy audits and report to the regulator every four years – see here for what you need to do now. _____________________ Liked this post? Sign up for the Eshcon Newsletter Blue Skies....

Net Zero Factsheet

10th October 201220th January 2022 By Anya Ledwith Comment Closed

Net Zero Factsheet Everyone’s talking about Net Zero – perhaps your customers are asking about your Net Zero target, or even your staff? Net Zero can be a complicated process – but I’ve streamlined it down to a simple five-step process. Check out my factsheet to help your business go Net Zero. ...