News - Business leaders swap cars and suits for bikes and trainers as part of a carbon neutral event

14th April 2010

13 senior business delegates - from companies including Cardiff Bus, BT, COS Group, Principality, M&A Solicitors and Kaplan Altoir took to their bikes and spent the day cycling around Cardiff.

They visited four environmentally friendly companies that have grasped the opportunities of sustainability.

The event organised as part of the Prince's Seeing is Believing programme by Business in the Community, Wales, was sponsored by The Welsh Assembly Government and led by Helen Birtwhistle, Managing Director, Good Relations. The day focused on sustainability, providing businesses leaders with the opportunity not only to enjoy some fresh air but also to see at firsthand what business benefits tackling climate change can offer.

To reduce the carbon footprint of the event Cardiff Bus provided delegates with bus passes enabling them to catch the bus to and from the event. Cardiff Bus is addressing two distinct areas in relation to sustainability, the environmental credentials of its depot and the buses themselves.

The group, part of the Mayday network, the largest collection of companies committed to tackling climate change in the UK, used sustainable transport including public transport, cycling and walking to visit a number of innovative businesses around the city. The visit hosted by Good Relations took businesses to Holder Mathias, Arup and SA Brain & Co.

The Arup office which whilst built over 10 years ago was seen at the time as a market leader in terms of low carbon design. Businesses had an opportunity to tour the office seeing the under floor ventilation, smart meters, server room, the new 4th floor extension and the new LED lighting in the car park which has reduced energy consumption by 66%. Delegates also heard a presentation from Paul Webber, Director, Arup outlining the journey Arup have been through in the last 3-4 years driving down their carbon footprint, including the early steps of awareness campaigns to investments such as installing LED lights.

Holder Mathias has acquired ISO 14001 and developed a strategy focusing sustainability efforts internally and externally specifically in the buildings they design because this is the biggest environmental impact on architectural firms.

The final visit was to SA Brain & Co where delegates went on a tour of the new treatment plant which enables 90% of its effluent to be cleaned and recycled as water, which is in turn used for cleaning processes around the Brewery. A presentation on SA Brains 20/20 vision programme included steps that had been introduced by staff to ensure that equipment was turned off when not in use and waste is recycled. As well as larger scale activities such as the replacement of light bulbs across 117 of the pubs for low energy ones and local green initiatives such as The Climate Change Challenge, which the Grove in St David's won in 2009.

Helen Birtwhistle, Managing Director, Good Relations said One of the key points we hoped to get across today was that everybody as an individual can do something to reduce carbon footprint and that a number of apparently insignificant, small measures can add up to a significant whole. I can't promise to cycle to work every day although it was great fun - but I and my colleagues at Good Relations do pledge to take actions that help to tackle climate change at the same time as bringing tangible business benefits.

Tracy Rees, Head of Policy, Business in the Community said: It was fantastic to see some of Cardiff's most senior business figures swapping suits for cycles as we demonstrated how businesses can adapt to the need to act sustainably. Statistics highlight that businesses are responsible for 40% of the UK's carbon emissions. It wasn't just the transport though as we saw how innovative companies are reaping the rewards of tackling climate change head on and actually identifying opportunities to save money and identify new markets