Companies' green potential under the spotlight at Basingstoke conference
How small companies can be green was a key topic at a recent Basingstoke conference and expo, which saw over 130 senior decision makers gather.
Unlocking Hampshire’s Green Potential 2024 (UHGP 2024), now in its second year, brought representatives from the business community, the third sector and local government to the Apollo Hotel for a day.
The event was planned and led jointly by the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Destination Basingstoke.
Ross McNally, Hampshire Chamber’s chief executive and executive chairman, said: "This is all about helping those interested in achieving green solutions.
"We’re bringing people together so they can learn from each other and meet experts to discuss skills issues, strategies, accreditation, green finance and other kinds of support.
“It is so powerful to have all the relevant stakeholders in the same room at the same time to give advice and share experiences, particularly at this time of growth for the economy.
“The event is ideal whether you are a small business looking to work with fellow businesses to build strategies or you want to find the specific skills or new talent you need for your green growth."
A skills panel hosted by McNally featured insight from Steve Gilder, head of construction at Basingstoke College of Technology, Jamie Mackay, strategic skills lead at Hampshire County Council, Jack Barber, partnership and community engagement manager at Suez, and James Powell, lead auditor of TrustMark.
The panel addressed questions around the challenges involved in re-skilling mid-career and how best to cultivate enthusiasm among young people for learning green skills.
The event had begun with a presentation by Dr Wendy Buckley, director and co-founder of Carbon Footprint Ltd and chair of the North Hampshire sustainability business network.
She unveiled a new free-to-use ‘products and materials’ database that sits alongside the wider CaDI (Carbon Database Initiative) platform.
“A central tenet of CaDI is that carbon data should never be hidden behind a paywall. In line with this principle, CaDI provides global company and international electricity emission factors, all available for free," she said.
"These tools are essential for organisations aiming to measure, disclose and manage their carbon footprint accurately, fostering a more sustainable future and supporting net zero goals."
Alongside the conference was also a ‘green expo’ featuring 25 exhibitors who offer sustainable solutions to customers or have already built green investments into operations.
Innovative products in show included a traffic planning software solution designed to cut single occupancy car travel, samples of sustainable modular cabling for the EV charging industry, solar energy collectors that have been shown to cut hot water bills by 60%, and recycled ‘carbon-negative’ carpets, textiles and fabrics.
Joint headline sponsors of UHGP 2024 were environmental solutions provider Suez and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
Mark Jones, partnerships manager at Desination Basingstoke, said: "The green agenda is one of Destination Basingstoke’s core values. We want to make it easier for people to engage with that.
"It can be difficult for a small business to focus on green skills and get engaged, particularly if they are part of a complex supply chain. That challenge is one of the things this event is here to address."
