Bristol hosting May Day climate change summit

Release Date:  30-Apr-2009

Bristol will be showcasing its commitment to becoming a Green Capital as it plays its part in hosting the largest gathering of businesses committed to taking action on climate change this Friday 1st May.

The Prince’s May Day Summit 2009, organised by Business in the Community, will take place at 10 venues across the UK.  Bristol will host the South West event, which promises to be a vibrant exchange of low carbon solutions and a celebration of organisations and communities making a real difference.  Jonathon Porritt, Founder of Forum for the Future and supporter of Bristol’s Green Capital initative, will be the main speaker.   Live video broadcasts will link the South West event to the London summit where HRH the Prince of Wales will be challenging delegates to take further action on climate change.

Bristol’s own Green Capital will support the recognition of an organisation taking positive action to tackle climate change here in the greater Bristol area in the form of the Carbon Positive Bristol Green Capital award to be made at the event.  Two finalists await the outcome:

•    Abricon - a specialist environmental company based in Bristol providing environmental consulting services with a focus on helping clients cost-effectively manage environmental issues

•    Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) - an independent charitable company based in Bristol with the mission to advance sustainable energy policy and practice

This award is one of eleven other South West C+ Carbon Positive Awards to be announced at the summit that will recognise, for example, organisations and communities working to reduce their carbon footprint and offering their consumers low carbon choices.

Dan Green, vice chair of the Green Capital Momentum Group, said: “Bristol is really starting to prove itself as a driver in tackling climate change.  Last year the city was recognised as the UK’s most sustainable city in a Forum for the Future assessment, shortlisted for a European Green Capital award, and was named as the UK’s first Cycling City.  It all highlights the Bristol’s commitment to reducing our negative impact on the environment. 

“Over 80 organisations have now signed up to the Green Capital Pledge to help make Bristol a low carbon city with a high quality of life.  The growing membership means that we can now deliver more support, seminars and events to those who are part of the network.  With a new website being launched next week, Green Capital is also able to support pledgers develop action plans, access useful resource guides and report progress online.  Organisations wanting to sign up will also be able to pledge through the website.  Pledge now and benefit from sharing best practice, saving money, and improving your business!”

Having pledged its support to Bristol’s Green Capital, Bristol’s Environmental Technology Sector (BETS) is an example of how a green vision for the city is bringing organisations with environmental ambitions together.

BETS is a trade association and partnership between businesses, academia, investors and local authorities promoting the growth of environmental technologies and services in the Bristol region.

Alan Bailey, Chairman of BETS, said: “We will be attending the May Day Summit event here in the city to help demonstrate what an innovative environmental business community Bristol has.  We will also be launching our new website this week, which we hope will prove a useful online tool and facilitate more sharing of good practice and the promotion of Bristol as a centre of excellence.  In working together, local environmental technologies and expertise are being adopted by end-users, which acts as a foundation for more local jobs and training even in this difficult economy.

The next prominent environmentally-focused business event for the Bristol region is scheduled to take place on Friday 10th July at the Bristol Marriott Hotel City Centre.  The Sustainable Business in Practice Expo has been designed to help organisations create winning green business strategies, which both improve environmental performance and meet efficiency, financial and commercial goals, particularly important during the current challenging economic climate.

The Princes May Day Summit 2009, South West event, is fully subscribed.  However, for the programme and information, to register to take part online, or to find out which events do still have spaces, please go to the Business in the Community website at: www.bitc.org.uk/

To find out more about Bristol's Green Capital programme, visit www.bristolgreencapital.org

Author:  Catherine Frankpitt / Lynda Wookey tel. 0117 922 3463

For all media enquiries relating to this press release, please contact Corporate Communications on 0117 922 2650.

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