Member Article

Manchester firms invited to build UK's greenest economy

Greater Manchester’s Low Carbon Hub is urging low carbon and environmental businesses to join its network and help to build the UK’s greenest economy.

There are more than 1,950 low carbon and environmental goods and services (LCEGS) sector companies in Greater Manchester. These businesses employ 37,000 people and have a collective annual turnover of £5.4 billion. Total sales within the local sector are the third highest of all the English sub-regions - amounting to a massive 5% national share.

The Low Carbon Hub, which brings together private, public and voluntary sector partners to oversee the delivery of the GM Climate Change Action Plan, is committed to building Greater Manchester’s low carbon sector supply chain and accelerating the growth of the green economy. This is essential to deliver on Greater Manchester’s target of achieving a 48% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020, based on a 1990 baseline.

“Greater Manchester could be the greenest economy in the UK, but we need the full support of our thriving low carbon and environmental businesses,” said Cllr Sue Derbyshire, Chair of the Low Carbon Hub Board. “The Low Carbon Hub is helping to link the local LCEGS supply chain to new sustainability opportunities through the public procurement process and by providing support and guidance to SMEs. Our aim is to raise the profile of this flourishing sector and use the strength of our green economy to attract inward investment from overseas companies.”

Low Carbon Hub member ENER-G, a Salford-based green technology business, is a member of the LCEGS sector group. Matt Chassagne of ENER-G said: “There are many exciting sustainability projects in the pipeline for Greater Manchester, such as retrofitting homes and workplaces, creating more renewable and low carbon capacity, designing energy efficiency programmes, and increasing low-carbon skills. The Hub’s aims are very ambitious and success hinges on local businesses like ours getting involved in making Manchester greener.”

Cllr Derbyshire added: “We are committed to supporting and growing Greater Manchester’s LCEGS sector, which is such an important part of the economic mix within the city region. Many of our low carbon, renewable energy and environmental businesses are leading exporters and companies in this sector and are well placed to grow their share of the robust £3.4 trillion global market for LCEGS.”

Low carbon and environmental businesses can join the Greater Manchester Network at www.green-growth.org.uk/low-carbon/network or call 0161 359 3050 to find out about low carbon sector support from the Business Growth Hub.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by ENER-G Combined Power Ltd .