SYGBC's Podcast

The food and drink footprint for Cardiff has recently reported to be
23% of the City's carbon footprint.  Why are food and drink muscled
out of contention in the carbon dioxide emission stakes by transport
and housing?  Food Innovation will show how we could account for the
food system and provide evidence that, if we choose to ignore food and
drink, it will be at our peril.

Wayne Martindale presented the important synergies between public
health and environmental planning when considering the environmental
impacts of diet.  Could the carbon accounting of food and beverage
provide us with a definition of the 'mythical' balanced British diet?
How do consumers understand health, environment and distribution
aspects of food and beverage products in the 3 seconds a 'typical'
consumer decides to buy or not to buy a product? What is the carbon
footprint of typical products, including your breakfast, and diets?
This presentation will demonstrate how we work them out with real
products and recipes.

This presentation we will try to relate this to one of the most
important and most difficult things to define with regard to supply
chain management. Our lifestyle.

The South Yorkshire Green Business Club has promoted the business potential that the environmental agenda presents to businesses of all size for 15 years.  With new products and services providing solutions and meeting our ever changing demands the potential is immense. One such company has seized the advantage and gained global recognition for its new environmental friendly products - Very PC.
 
With alternative products to those commonly found in both our office and homes using less energy that a 30 watt light bulb Very PC is a true success story and clearly show’s what can be achieved by businesses that you would not immediately think of as an environmental pioneer. The implications and possible application of these energy efficient alternatives is wide and diverse. In addition to the obvious costs savings associated with the saved energy these solutions will affect the energy performance certificates associated with buildings, reduce the waste burden when they reach the end of their life and reduce the carbon footprint of users.
 
Managing Director Peter Hopton will present on his energy efficient products and discuss how Very PC have taken advantage of the demand for environmentally friendly products.

Mr Peter Nottage, Regional Director for Yorkshire and Humberside, will be discussing Natural England's role in terms of interaction with businesses; both existing but also start-up businesses in areas such as renewable energy, conservation and carbon reduction. There will also be an opportunity to discover how Natural England are involved in the development of both urban and green spaces both from an economic but also flood mitigation point of view. Interaction with the local authorities or regional development agencies is also on the agenda.

As environmental management, flooding and development of the urban landscape continue to affect the businesses in our region this is an opportunity to learn first hand what opportunities there maybe for you and your business. Combined with the new financial year and changes to the way European funds and national funding are allocated gaining an insight into the areas of economic and social growth may well give you that competitive edge.

Many of our towns and cities in South Yorkshire have been left with the legacy of their industrial past in the form of contaminated land. As the financial cost of remediation works directly affects any development of these sites the knock on affect is a slowing down of any economic growth. With various solutions to this problem failing to make the grade in a commercial environment a new pilot scheme based in Sheffield is looking to address this issue.

The CLUSTER project being run by CLAIRE (Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments) is entering its implementation phase having been developed as a pilot project over the last year. As CLUSTER moves into this delivery stage local businesses, stakeholders, shakers and movers will be able to benefit from the process. Should the project be as successful as forecast it could dramatically affect the way in which our towns, cities and economies grow.

This breakfast meeting gives you the opportunities to discover how the project differs from previous attempts at addressing the issue of brownfield sites in South Yorkshire. It would be ideal for anyone interested in land management, the construction sector, remediation or a general interest in the environmental aspects of our modern cities.

 

July 2007 - Steve Conner, Managing Director of Creative Concern, gave this presentation to discuss how business use their Green Image in marketing and promoting their products and services.

Over the past 3 years the Environment Agency has been assessing the range of technologies available in Europe which could be used by Local Authorities to treat Municipal Waste. The initial objective of this work was to provide assistance and advice to allow LAs to meet their obligations under the Landfill Directive but the last three years have seen significant changes in the energy situation; costs have at least doubled, biofuels have become the 'flavour of the month' whilst the Russians have shut off gas and, most recently, oil pipelines.

This presentation is intended to give an overview of the main findings of the Agency's studies into waste treatment with emphasis being giving to the role that such treatments could play in the new energy climate. Some discussion of biofuels options will also be included.

Our October event was hosted by Veolia Environmental Services at the Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Sheffield. Director of Operations Nigel Garrod gave a presentation on the performance of the new facilities and demonstrated the impact of the district heating system for users in Sheffield. The environmental benefits of the energy recovery facilities and the implementation of district heating were also discussed with an opportunity for a questions and answer session.

This is an excellent opportunity to learn about, first hand, the key initiatives and programmes from the environmental regulators. Sheffield City Council's Ian Ashmore, Head of Environmental Regulation, will present on the Better Regulation initiative, the impact of freedom of information and environmental information act and the issues that they pose to businesses.

This years Legal Eagles presentation will be hosted by DLA at their new offices in St. Paul's Place where the following points will be discussed;

·        Producer Responsibility: Amendments to the regulations concerning responsibility for Packaging Waste and an update on the UK implementation of the Directives on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the Restriction on the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS).

·        Recent trends in penalties for Safety Health and Environmental offences and the work of the Better Regulation Executive.

·        Recent developments in Climate Change and Emissions Trading.

·        The financial provision for landfills.

·        Recent developments as regards the REACH (Registration, Evaluation and the Authorisation of Chemicals) Directive.

This is an excellent opportunity for businesses to network with legal experts and learn how some of the key environmental legislation will affect their businesses in person or the potential business opportunities they present.

Is it really possible to find policies that are good for business and the environment at the same time?  

The key has to be innovation and this is what the Danish Environmental Assessment Institute is exploring in its Green Roads to Growth Programme.  

• What part can Governments play in stimulating eco-innovation and environmental technology?
  
• How can businesses and the research community work together to find exciting new ways of, for example, generating energy?
  
• How can the circumstances be made attractive for investors?  

These are the kinds of issues that Peter Calow will cover at this meeting - reporting from high-level forums of experts and policy makers that were organised by his Institute.

In 2001 The Nordic Partnership, a multi-stakeholder platform comprising of businesses and NGOâ??s, undertook a project to develop a business model for sustainable development. The results of the project however showed that a one-size-fits-all model was counterproductive, hindering businesses striving for sustainable development. Instead, the outcome was valuable experience collected from the participating companies on what works and what does not.  

The construction sector has a dirty reputation. It creates a massive amount of waste and carbon emissions and as a result has very poor environmental credentials. However, the industry is turning a corner with new legislation, regulations and impetuous on improving their environmental performance. Speakers include Del Cross and Martin Mayfield of Ove Arup.

Bill Sneyd will outline the scientific evidence regarding climate change and introduce an overview of climate change legislation, including who is affected and implications going forward. The presentation will also cover the commercial drivers for taking action and outline business successes through case studies from companies that have already taken action.

Mike Smith, Head of Sustainable Development at Yorkshire Forward, outlines the opportunities for businesses within the Yorkshire region whilst promoting energy efficiency and waste minimisation.