Milton Keynes Council is committed to helping businesses become greener and more sustainable, as corporations play a major role in driving climate change due to the fact they produce almost everything that we use.
It is crucial that we all do our bit in tackling the climate crisis, therefore Milton Keynes Council has outlined how it will support businesses in their efforts to reduce their footprint. This, in turn, will support us with our goal of Milton Keynes becoming carbon neutral by 2030, and carbon negative by 2050.
One way that businesses can reduce their carbon footprint is by using the newly launched and council-backed car club, which gives people 24/7 access to several low-emission vehicles. The car share scheme by Enterprise Car Club means that you can borrow electric vehicles on a pay-per-use basis and make local or regional journeys at a fraction of the cost. The fleet includes five different models including the Nissan Leaf, an electric vehicle that when fully charged has 239 miles of range. The cars are strategically located in areas such as Central Milton Keynes, Wolverton, and Bletchley; people that sign up to the car club also have access to more than 1,400 vehicles located in nearly 200 towns and cities across the country, making it the perfect option for business trips.
Over half a million people are signed up to car clubs across the country, and they are a brilliant way for businesses to lower their emissions and use more sustainable transport options. This new scheme will ensure Milton Keynes remains at the forefront of sustainable public transport, and partners well with its use of e-scooters, e-cargo bikes, demand-responsive transport, and continued steps towards a one-stop shop transport app.
Aside from this, the Council is also offering free training to local tradespeople, informing them how to install eco-friendly equipment and educating businesses on how to reduce their carbon footprint. £70,000 has been invested in a partnership with the National Energy Foundation to unlock hundreds of hours of free training for local businesspeople including:
- Training for up to 25 local tradespeople on how to gain TrustMark accreditation for the installation of eco-friendly equipment such as insulation, double glazing and new heating systems
- Online training for businesses looking to take the first step in developing an environmental policy, including an all-staff exercise to demonstrate how everyone can make a difference
- Certification for up to ten people to give advice on the best way to make homes more energy efficient
- Further training to help professionals already qualified as Domestic Energy Assessors to gain additional qualifications
This funding has come from the Council’s £500,000 Green Business Recovery Fund, which aims to help businesses improve their green offer to residents and create more sustainable jobs. We want our local economy to continue to grow sustainably, and I encourage businesses to take advantage of this offer.
Find out more about the green training by emailing greenbusiness@nef.org.uk
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Click here to sign up to the Car Club. Use the promo code MK1010 for £10 first year’s membership and £10 free driving credit (total savings £60)
Leader
Milton Keynes Council
