Expo to highlight ‘Environment Capital’ ambitions

Officials in Peterborough have announced they will host a one-day expo for businesses as part of the city's drive to become the UK's "Environmental Capital".


The inaugural East of England Energy and Environment Expo, which will be known as E5xpo, will be held on September 24 to give guidance to environmental goods and services businesses.

It is the latest in a long line of eco-initiatives since Peterborough became one of four cities to be designated Environment Cities in 1993.

City chiefs announced at the beginning of this year that they are bidding to boost the city’s status to make it the UK’s Environment Capital – an ambition which is a key part of the area’s economic strategy.

Nick Goodman, environment capital officer at Peterborough City Council, told edie: “What we are looking to do is to build upon that current status that we have and innovate and deliver on more projects on top of that.”

He added: “We have demonstrated that the city has managed to deliver on environmental initiatives over the last 15 years.

“We have also been given the challenge to deliver new growth in the city with new houses and new jobs, and that’s linking into the work that we want to do on the environment. It’s an ongoing aspiration.”

To achieve the ambition, the city has set out six main targets, which include reducing the city’s consumption of resources, becoming a UK leader in sustainable construction, and becoming a centre of sustainable transport.

Mr Goodman said the council has already achieved Beacon Status for waste and recycling, has the largest cluster of environmental goods and services businesses in the UK, and is taking part in a government-funded pilot scheme to promote sustainable travel.

It is also set to be the site of a 450-home zero-carbon development led by national regeneration agency English Partnerships.

More information about E5xpo can be found here.

Kate Martin

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