Westmorland and Furness Council is pleased to announce applications are open for its new Greening Businesses Scheme.
The newly launched scheme will help local businesses across Westmorland and Furness to understand how to reduce their carbon footprint and cut costs, promoting a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future for the area.
Established following the success of the council’s Greening Eden Businesses Scheme, the initiative once again offers businesses the opportunity to work with the Cumbria Business Environment Network (CBEN) Partnership. Through this partnership, businesses can access a free carbon footprint assessment of their operations and activities from which they can develop strategies or implement measures to reduce carbon emissions.
The original Greening Eden Businesses Scheme, developed by the legacy Eden District Council and continued by Westmorland and Furness Council, saw 99 businesses register interest, with 83 then visited and 63 audited by CBEN, and 18 subsequently awarded a grant of between £1,000 and £50,000 each.
Applications for this new scheme are now open, and businesses of any sector and located in Westmorland and Furness are eligible to apply.
More information including guidance and an application form can be found on the council’s website.
Deadline for applications is Friday 29 November.
Councillor Giles Archibald, Cabinet Member for Climate, Biodiversity and Environmental Services, said:
“We are excited to launch this new scheme which will provide vital support to businesses across Westmorland and Furness as they work to become more environmentally sustainable.
“Following the great success of the Greening Eden Businesses Scheme, this initiative extends our efforts to support local businesses while addressing the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions on our journey to reach carbon net zero.
“By offering free carbon footprint assessments and practical guidance through our partnership with CBEN, we aim to empower businesses to make impactful changes that benefit both the environment and their operational efficiency. We encourage all eligible businesses to apply and take advantage of this valuable opportunity.”
This new scheme for Westmorland and Furness businesses will link in with the work being undertaken with the Westmorland & Furness Green Enterprise Hub which is funded by the Council and run by Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS).