An early adopter of net zero and low carbon technology in the North East, Paul McEldon spoke to us about how the North East BIC is working with its tenants, subcontractors and supply chain, to reduce its carbon emissions and pass savings on to the businesses it supports and champions. 

Top tips:

• Make a carbon reduction plan to guide your activity and track your progress.
   
• Seek out expert help, support and advice before making big investments.
   
• Involve your staff and ensure everyone feels part of your net zero journey.
   
• Speak to other businesses that have already made progress, and pass on your learning.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is the North East BIC, and what is your role within the organisation?

My name is Paul McEldon and I am Chief Executive of the North East BIC; a role I’ve held since 2001. We are a social enterprise set up in 1994 to help start, develop and grow businesses in the region.

The North East BIC is based in Sunderland, where we have 220 small business units to house emerging companies. We also have premises in Washington, and two big sites in Darlington that we run in partnership with Darlington Borough Council.

An addition to providing office space, North East BIC is also here for any startup businesses in the North East. Over the last 30 years we’ve helped more than 6,000 people set own businesses up, and we’ve hosted over 1,000 businesses in our premises.  

Why is reducing your carbon footprint, and supporting the region’s journey to net zero, important to the North East BIC?

As a social enterprise, our ethos is based upon doing things for good, so it’s part of our DNA to look at our effect on businesses. We also want to provide a service that is as ethical and independent as possible.

Our exploration into reducing our carbon footprint actually started a long time ago – almost 25 years. We began by setting up an environment group to look at our organisation’s impact on staff, businesses, and suppliers. As a landlord with a lot of big premises, one of the first things we did was install photovoltaics (PV) panels on our roof space. Not only was it a good economic investment, it was also very good for the environment. We spent around 100k at the time, and we were also receiving government Feed-in Tariffs (FITS). We started to see payback around six or seven years later, and we’re still receiving benefits now.

What have you done to reduce your carbon footprint?

We’ve been converting a lot of our sites to LED lighting, which has been a big programme for us. The increase in electricity costs means we can start to see returns in around four to five years. Not only does it help us keep costs down for our tenants, it also helps lower our running costs too.

We also published our first carbon reduction plan, which shows that from 2011 – when the first PVs were installed – we’ve seen our carbon footprint reduce by 40%, and we expect that percentage to increase dramatically after our latest investment.

Another project we’ve delivered to reduce our carbon footprint is to create a pollinator park with the help of Climate Action North East. Reducing carbon emissions and caring for the environment is something that’s always on the agenda.

The North East BIC was home to first wind turbine in Sunderland more than 30 years ago. It was very experimental at the time, and not as effective as the technology was at such an early stage. We went on to replace it with solar PV panels around 15 years ago.

We were also the first place in the North East to have a Segway on site. We would use it to deliver post to our tenants, and we would also use it during school presentations when we were talking about innovation. It was a great way to get children to think about being more innovative and setting up their own businesses in the future.

Where did you go for advice, and how did you calculate return on investment and agree priorities?

We brought in expert advice from a company called Cundall, who are based in Gateshead. They did work with us to help develop a strategy. We also worked with Climate Action North East on a climate reduction plan. Buying in good advice makes a lot of sense. I wouldn’t recommend anyone make a big investment without seeking out the appropriate advice and guidance first, especially if it’s an area you’re not familiar with. There’s a lot of good help available in the North East.

What impact has the work had on your business?

As well as the obvious environmental and financial benefits, we’ve found our staff really enjoys being part of our net zero journey. We starting a working group that meets a couple of times a year. The group monitors things like photocopier, electricity and gas usage; as well as other everyday tasks like recycling that impact our carbon emissions.

I’m proud to say we have zero waste from the North East BIC and our tenants; everything is sorted for recycling and nothing goes to landfill. By educating our tenants about recycling, it’s made a real difference to our targets.

From March next year, we’ll also be asking all subcontractors to provide us with a carbon reduction plan. That sounds more complex than what it is; it can be as simple as a one-page document outlining their approach, and we’re planning to work with suppliers to help them create the plans. For example, if we’re working with contractors on site, their carbon reduction plan might highlight their ambition to replace their vehicles with electric ones. By instilling this in the supply chain we can extend the level of impact we’re having in reducing carbon emissions.  

What advice would you give to businesses in the North East at the start of their carbon reduction / net zero journey?

Most businesses we’ve come across are willing to help others and share their experience. The North East Growth Hub can help signpost people to the right support.  

Speaking to others that have already started their net zero journey is a good starting point. And don’t be scared; it’s not frightening. You can build a financial model around it, so everyone in the organisation can see it’s an informed business decision, and not an emotional one.

We were fortunate enough to access government support, both from central government and Sunderland City Council. There are still lots of carbon reduction projects businesses can apply to for additional funding – everything from installing LED lights and upgrading boilers, to introducing PV.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more help and support with your net zero journey, visit the Net Zero for Businesses Toolkit, or book a free appointment to speak to one of the North East Growth Hub's Business Support Advisers.