Environmental reviews

Go Green Richmond upon Thames provides your business with one to one support in reviewing your environmental performance and providing recommendations to help you go green. Support and awards are provided per site to ensure advice and environmental procedures applied are relevant to the local site.

The first step is to have an on-site initial environmental review to identify your business’ environmental impacts and provide you with quick wins to get you started.

Once you have achieved the merit award you can apply for a specialist review. The review available to your organisation will depend on your business’ main areas of impact and will be tailored to your site requirements. Support is available to assist you in implementing actions and recommendations identified in the review. The following types of review are available:

• Energy reviews and support to identify saving opportunities through your heating, cooling, lighting, equipment, and operations. Advice can be provided on changing staff behaviour and identifying renewable energy sources.
• Waste reviews and support to help you minimise waste production and packaging, and implement reuse and recycling. Advice can be provided on your legal obligations through management of hazardous waste and storage, transportation and treatment of waste.
• Water reviews and advice in water efficiency in supply and drainage, kitchens and toilets, cleaning operations and manufacturing processes. Advice can be provided on how to reduce the risk of polluting of waterways.
• Travel reviews to help develop travel plans to reduce single occupancy car use. Advice can be provided on how to enable staff and visitors to use public transport and cycling facilities.
• Purchasing reviews and advice on supply chain management to increase sourcing of sustainable products and services. Advice can be provided on managing procurement procedures to ensure timely purchasing to decrease waste, number of deliveries and distances travelled.

Go Green Richmond upon Thames works with specialist organisations who are experts across the areas of energy, waste, water, travel and procurement. We will identify the most appropriate audit for your activities and commission the specialist review and report. The network of expert organisations include the following:

The Carbon Trust is an independent company funded by Government. Its role is to help the UK move to a low carbon economy by helping business and the public sector reduce carbon emissions now and capture the commercial opportunities of low carbon technologies. Carbon experts can provide surveys and telephone support depending on the size of your company to advise you on the most appropriate course of action for your business. Smaller companies can benefit by calling the helpline 0800 917 3030.

Thames Water offer a range of schemes to help business benefit from using water wisely such as their four step plan and templates to help you calculate your water consumption. The misconnections programme can provide advice on correct plumbing of foul and surface water drainage. Large companies can benefit from a key account manager to provide advice on everything from water quality and water efficiency to reducing costs associated with effluent treatment.

Envirowise is a national programme that offers practical advice to businesses to reduce all forms of waste and increase profits. Free services include the Environment and Energy Helpline 0800 585 794, a large range of practical publications specific to your industry and on-site visits to help you identify savings.

Run by London Remade, the Mayor’s Green Procurement Code helps organisations across the Capital specify, source and procure recycled and sustainable products and materials. A dedicated team of Green Procurement brokers work with signatories on a one-to-one basis to help them overcome their barriers to buying sustainable products.

SWELTRAC provides support to businesses is in developing a green travel plan - a package of practical measures which are designed to encourage staff and visitors to chose alternatives to single occupancy car use for travel to and from the business premises.

The Environment Agency is the leading public body working to protect and improve the environment through the integrated management of air, land and water. This involves regulating industry, reducing pollution and waste, protecting wildlife habitats, providing defence from flooding, managing water resources and promoting water-based recreation. The Environment Agency has developed a dedicated website designed to help small businesses navigate through the maze of environmental legislation.