Brighton companies balancing their carbon footprint

Companies such as The Body Shop International, BBC Southern Counties Radio, Zelgrain Pub Group, and Moshi Moshi Sushi, as well as the local council, are either working towards balancing their carbon emissions, or have already achieved their goal. Zelgrain, for example, has switched all of its pubs to a renewable electricity supply company and has installed a solar powered hot water system on the roof of one of its pubs.

The success of the scheme so far means that its organisers are already daring to think big. “We’d love to be able to say that Brighton and Hove is a climate balanced city,” Ben Messer of organisers C LEVEL told edie. However, it will be difficult to identify when this point has been reached, he explained.

Meanwhile, initial targets are to have nine new local solar projects, to involve 99 companies in balancing their carbon emissions, and to aid 9,000 switches to renewable energy.

C-LEVEL’s first step in the scheme was to approach companies and organisations that have a high profile in the area, such as the BBC and the Body Shop, to work as pioneers. Since then, they have spoken to a large number of firms. “Many, many have said that they want to do something about global warming but don’t know what to do,” said Messer. “We’re quite surprised – the take-up has been good.”

As well as the good publicity from the scheme, companies will also save money – although there is an initial cost. “It’s about planning for the longer term,” Messer pointed out.