What does COP26 mean for businesses in the Peak District and Staffordshire?

To business owners in the Peak District and Staffordshire area, COP26 in Glasgow might seem a world away – only relevant to leaders of the world’s nations, or perhaps big corporations.?

However, in these regions, we find ourselves at the coal face of some of the biggest challenges being tackled at COP26. For example: land use and how this might change in the future to achieve net zero; producing food in an ethical and carbon-responsible way; and supporting carbon-intensive industries to adapt and be resilient in the face of necessary change.

In the Peak District, many businesses are economically linked to the natural resources and beauty of the National Park, making them equally as vulnerable to climate change as this precious landscape.?

In just the past few years the Peaks have experienced drought that wiped out fodder crops for land-based businesses; flooding that saw towns under water to near catastrophic effect; and moorland fires that devastated tracts of land with both ecological and economic consequences, not to mention releasing tens of thousands of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.?

Staffordshire has also been hit hard by flash floods over the past couple of decades, due to heavy rainfall following periods of bone dry drought conditions, as well as instances of severe snowfall and wind.

The increasing frequency and severity of climate-change-related extreme weather events are making life and work in the Peak District and Stafforshire more challenging.?

Such events have serious impacts on businesses, affecting their premises, staff, customers and supply chains.

But what can businesses do??

COP26 President Alok Sharma made clear he is counting on all UK businesses, be they urban or rural, to play a central role in the “Race to Zero”. He has called for us to set ambitious climate targets and use our influence within our own sectors and supply chains to drive faster rates of decarbonisation.??

Aligning ourselves with the messaging of COP26 is the perfect opportunity to do this, and our reasons need not be altruistic.?

There are real economic drivers for all businesses - especially rural businesses, who are not necessarily competing on a level playing field with their urban counterparts.?

Market research shows that climate-concerned customers are increasingly choosing to spend with carbon-responsible companies, so heart-felt environmental sustainability can be a powerful point of differentiation for business in a noisy marketplace.?

We should also consider that staff are attracted to employers who demonstrate robust commitment to sustainability goals.?

Furthermore, businesses with ambitious and science-based decarbonisation targets are more likely to receive support from banks or grant-awarding bodies.

Actions that businesses can take today:

• Measure your carbon footprint and plan your route to net zero. Schemes such as the Peak District or Staffordshire Environmental Quality Mark can help.
• Seek grants and support to help you achieve your carbon goals - for example, Derbyshire County Council’s Green Entrepreneurs fund or Staffordshire Business & Environment Network’s Low Carbon Business Evolution Programme.
• Pledge your commitment to achieving net zero, alongside thousands of other UK-based companies at the UK Business Climate Hub.
• Get involved with local climate initiatives and groups, such as Hope Valley Climate Action, Transition Buxton, Moorlands Climate Action and Climate Matters Staffordshire.

Businesses cannot wait to react to regulation that falls out of COP26, we need to lead the charge and to shape our own low-carbon future.

How we can help

The Environmental Quality Mark CIC (EQM) have developed an online Carbon Tracker tool to help businesses plan their route to Net Zero.?

We were commissioned by the Staffordshire Business and Environment Network to develop an online tool to help businesses plan their route to Net Zero (funded through Staffordshire County Council). The Carbon Tracker is currently available to businesses in Staffordshire but we plan to incorporate the tool into the EQM award process and launch soon after COP26.

The concept was to create an easy to use carbon footprinting tool with robust results and a Net Zero call to action.?

The result: a simple interface, with clear on-screen graphics, which break down the total footprint by emission source, then by intensity ratios such as CO2e per ￡M turnover, for benchmarking.?

Users particularly enjoy the interactive elements, plotting their trajectory to carbon neutrality. A downloadable report can also be shared with the board and stakeholders.

If you would like to find out more about the Carbon Tracker and when it will be available through the EQM, please DM us or email [email protected]