Carbon Trust helps businesses go green

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The Carbon Trust may have encouraged greener facilities management after providing funding for energy-efficient business equipment

By Ashley Brunskill

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK have received funding worth £60 million from the Carbon Trust's Big Business Refit to help move to greener facilities management and other energy-efficient initiatives.

Since last April, 1,847 SMEs in the UK have refitted old, inefficient equipment, saving a combined £20 million a year.

With such financial savings, companies may be encouraged to adopt greener facilities management to see what other energy-efficient achievements can be realised.

Under the scheme, interest-free unsecured loans of up to £500,000 are granted. Dragon's Den entrepreneur Theo Paphitis backs the initiative for greener businesses.

"I've been saying it for a year now: helping firms buy the latest kit, so they can save on energy, while making themselves more competitive for future recovery and cutting carbon emissions - it's a no brainer."

The Carbon Trust is a not-for-profit company that wants to help the UK move to a low-carbon economy.

Such a move could include greener facilities management and energy-efficient commercial property.

Source: ask-re The Property People LLP