Together For Our Planet campaign announces award-winning green small businesses
The Together for Our Planet campaign today celebrates The Heroes of Net Zero at a special awards ceremony, hosted by Intuit QuickBooks at the COP26 international climate change summit in Glasgow.
More than 160 businesses entered the competition, making a commitment at the UK Business Climate Hub to achieve net zero by 2050, in line with the government’s own climate commitment.
All ten finalists successfully convinced the judging panel of their green credentials by describing the most exciting measures they have taken on the journey to net zero. Two winners secured an exclusive prize package worth over £4,500 from competition partners BT, NatWest and SSE.
The Heroes of Net Zero competition winners are:
Micro businesses with 1 -9 employees
Winner - Design Abled
Highly commended - Ganders Goat and Onesta
Shortlisted - Barnaby's Brewhouse and Unmanned Survey Solutions
Small businesses with 10 – 50 employees
Winner - VMI.TV
Highly commended - The Quiet Site and Small Robot Company
Shortlisted - Hey Girls and Stem Glory
The winning micro business Design Abled, based in Stanmore, Harrow, produces sustainable and certified PPE. Judges praised the business for supporting the UK to stay safe in the Coronavirus pandemic, while continuing to make cutting their emissions central to their entire operations. This included procuring product materials within the UK, taking measures to minimise their manufacturing waste and creating bespoke sustainable and bio-degradable packaging.
Dean Ezekiel, Director, Design Abled said:
“We are very proud of the business decisions we have taken on our way to becoming a Hero of Net Zero. We hope to inspire other businesses to make the same commitment and to make eco-friendly decisions. We believe in our chance to make a positive impact.
“Our aim is to solve communication problems of respiratory protection, as a sustainable, net zero business. As a manufacturer, we have a choice to reduce our impact on climate change, while still meeting the needs of customers and growing our business.”
Judges applauded the winner of the small business category VMI.TV, a camera rental company based in London and Bristol, for taking a set of decisive, diverse actions and for their achievements increasing productivity and profitability while putting the environment first. They were impressed with VMI.TV Ltd for taking responsibility for their sector’s environmental impact, spreading the sustainability message as founding members of the Bectu's-Film-For-Future group.
Barry Bassett, Managing Director, VMI.TV said:
“We are incredibly flattered and really pleased that our efforts are being recognised, as this will spread the word more widely about the benefits of companies making decarbonising efforts.
“I was inspired and energised from attending a seven-week sustainability course and persuaded the Managers and Directors at VMI.TV to buy-in to a net-zero plan, after which we signed up to the SME Climate Commitment.”
The panel of expert judges included the government’s Net Zero Business Champion Andrew Griffith. He is today due to present the businesses with awards and celebrate their green achievements at the COP26 event, in the Scottish Event Campus. The event will be live streamed from 11.45am on the UK government’s YouTube channel.
The Government’s Together for Our Planet Business campaign is run by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
UK Net Zero Business Champion, Andrew Griffith said:
“I am delighted to be celebrating the Heroes of Net Zero today at our special COP26 event.
Representing a diverse range of industries and locations, the finalists spotlight the actions that UK businesses of any size can take to cut their own emissions and help us build back better.”
Chris Leahy, Global Corporate Affairs Leader at Intuit QuickBooks said:
“UK small businesses will continue to play a critical role in building a more climate-positive future and we are proud to have sponsored these awards to showcase the winners’ great achievements. We will continue to work closely with SMEs, to support them as they commit to carbon reduction through our partnership with Together for Our Planet.”
Gabrielle Ginér, Head of Environmental Sustainability at BT said:
“I am very pleased to see that so many small businesses have signed up to net zero targets. The winners showcased innovative and inspiring ways of reducing their impact on the climate and environment. I hope they will serve as exemplars for many more small businesses to take climate action.”
Nikki Flanders, Managing Director of Energy Customer Solutions at SSE said:
“The Heroes of Net Zero competition has been a great opportunity to celebrate success and inspire businesses across the UK to take action. We’re excited to work with winners Design Abled and VMI.TV, helping them to further accelerate their journeys to net zero with our Energy Manager consultancy.”
James Close, Head of Climate at NatWest Group said:
“It is inspiring to see small and medium size enterprises doing so much to commit to a net zero future. Not only is it good for their businesses, it’s also good for their customers and the planet and sets a great example to others.”
