A new chapter beckons for the West of England’s SMEs and start-up businesses, as a major sustainability project, inspired by The Eden Project, officially launches with strong support from the Government.

The Planet Mark, which has reached over 1 million employees nationwide, enabling them to save over 14 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually and thousands on their energy bills, launches The Planet Mark Start! at a high profile event on 16 May 2019. The key note speaker is Rt Hon. Claire Perry MP, the Government’s Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth.

Planet-friendly advice, training and support

The Planet Mark Start! is a free sustainability programme, specifically for businesses in the West of England, which provides advice and guidance about how SMEs and start-ups can reduce their carbon emissions, cut energy bills and become environmentally sustainable. After taking local action to enhance their sustainability, companies are awarded formal accreditation that demonstrates their commitment to taking global climate action to suppliers and customers.

Mike Harris, Project Manager for The Planet Mark Start!, said:

“81% of customers want to buy from an environmentally-focused company. Business sustainability is a global issue that must be tackled locally. We welcome the fact that the government shares our values on business sustainability and is willing to play their part by helping to turbocharge our profile in the West of England.

“Planet Mark accredited organisations achieve outstanding results and cut their carbon emissions by 12% per employee per year on average. Our team is here to provide businesses with the tools, resources and above all, the inspiration, to act. Adopting sustainable behaviour is good for business and we look forward to welcoming the West of England’s SMEs and start-ups to this event.”

The Planet Mark Start! – ‘A natural choice’ for sustainable business

One of The Planet Mark Start’s biggest success stories is the Young Entrepreneurs Network Association (YENA), a Bristol-based online platform and acceleration community for start-ups. Ash Phillips, the company’s founder, said: “We believe that any business – for profit, or not – should care deeply about the impact it has on the world. We refuse to run a business that has a net-loss on the environment and the people within it.

“Becoming The Planet Mark Start! accredited was a natural choice for us. The ability to know, and show, that we are doing good as a by-product of the work we're doing, helping with reforestation and lowering emissions by operating in a lean way, sets a standard not only for our future as a company and our peers, but also the hundreds of start-ups in our community at YENA.”

Get involved with The Planet Mark Start! today

The event, which will take place in central Bristol on 16 May 2019 from 5pm - 8pm, is fully funded and open to SMEs, start-ups and entrepreneurs in the West of England (Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire only).

Over the course of the evening, attendees will hear from Claire Perry MP and Planet Mark-accredited company British Corner Shop, a Bristol-based online supermarket with an international reach. A short workshop will then introduce companies to The Planet Mark Start! programme, with opportunities to network towards the end of the session.

To register for the event, please visit:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/business-and-sustainability-featuring-keynote-address-from-energy-and-climate-change-minister-rt-tickets-55351601129