Small
and medium-sized businesses in the West
Midlands now have help preparing for climate
change, while making and saving money –
thanks to a new business guide.
‘Weathering the Storm
– saving and making money in a changing
climate’ has practical advice, checklists
and case studies for small and medium businesses
to help them take action to prepare for
hotter drier summers, and more intense rainfall.
This new guide takes businesses through
a series of questions about flooding, extreme
heat, shortage of water and other disruptions
and comes up with some simple actions about
how they can be addressed or prepared for.
The guide also looks
at the various aspects of business life
and how they may be affected, such as insurance,
people, utilities, IT, suppliers, stock
and raw material.
As well as businesses it gives advice and
guidance to agricultural and horticultural
rural outlets on how they can take action
to adapt to the changing climate.
There are a number of
simple tips on how businesses can reduce
their carbon footprint while saving money,
such as cutting lighting costs by 15 per
cent by switching lights off in empty rooms,
or saving £15 a year per computer
by switching them off out of hours and enabling
standby features when inactive during the
day.
Shelly Beckett, West
Midlands’ Climate Change Adaptation Coordinator,
said: “Planning for climate change makes
good business sense. In what is already
a tough time for small businesses it is
essential that businesses know how to maximise
the benefits and cut the costs of a changing
climate. With straight-forward advice, local
case studies and simple checklists this
guide will ensure that businesses are well
placed to weather the storm and turn adversity
into opportunity.”
A full list of organisations
that can help and contact details are included
in the brochure, so businesses can find
out more information to save costs, while
doing their bit for the environment.
The guide can be found
by clicking on Final Report: Practical Guide
for Small Businesses in the West Midlands,
on the Defra website.
