Decarbonisation Net Zero Programme

Support to help your business make significant decarbonisation and money saving changes.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is seeking to support businesses in the West Midlands to reduce their environmental impact and to reduce the rising energy costs these companies are experiencing. 

The Decarbonisation Net Zero Programme aims to provide information and expert advice and support to businesses enabling them to make significant decarbonization and money saving changes to their business. This Programme is part of the wider West Midlands Business Support activity funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). 

Register today for a free business energy assessment

Background 

The Government has committed to a legally binding target of net zero emissions by 2050. Smaller businesses are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Research from the British Business Bank found that, whilst awareness of net zero is growing (at nearly 60%), only around half of smaller businesses say decarbonisation or reducing environmental impacts is a near-term priority, with 76% of small businesses having yet to identify their emissions impact, implement decarbonization strategies, capabilities and actions and identify opportunities associated with a growing net zero economy.

The Programme’s objectives are to: 

• support decarbonisation and improving the natural environment whilst growing the local economy
• deliver effective decarbonisation in line with the Government legally binding climate target
• provide immediate support to businesses so that they can deliver on net zero and in so doing enhancing their competitiveness and sustainability 
   

The Decarbonisation Net Zero Programme in affiliation with Business Energy Advice Service aims to support sole traders, micro-businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large businesses. It also includes social enterprises where these engage in economic activity which have been trading across all sectors to respond to climate change and to support the growth of the local low-carbon sector.  

The programme is offering the following services to eligible businesses:

• Information and Advice (1-2-1 advice, webinars, workshops, peer networks, etc.) supporting businesses to understand how they can get to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, support with new regulations, having an impact on investment and energy challenges with less uncertainty to enable them to take larger/longer-term investment decisions.
• Energy Audits/free diagnostic tools/on-site carbon reduction surveys supporting businesses to quantify and benchmark their emissions (audits of the energy used by their buildings, industrial processes and operations), identify cost-effective energy-saving measures, set validated emissions targets, embed low-carbon strategy within the company.
• Knowledge Transfer activities (a more technical Research and Development (R&D) support aimed at carbon accounting and sustainability software).