Sandwell businesses and entrepreneurs don’t just share a borough, we share a planet.
Our climate is changing in Sandwell and across the world, largely due to our lifestyles which are dependent on fossil fuels (using oil, coal and gas). Climate change means that our weather will become more extreme, leading to increasing numbers of flooding events and heatwaves.
Sandwell Council has declared a climate emergency. One of our seven economic priorities is ‘Net Zero in Sandwell’. We need to work together to build climate resilience: reducing and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
What is net zero?
“Put simply, net zero means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere, by oceans and forests for instance” – United Nations.
We all have a responsibility to create a cleaner, greener environment. As a bonus, you may find a wealth of business growth opportunities on your journey to net zero.
SME grants to help you achieve ‘Net Zero in Sandwell’
Sandwell Council (with funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund) is taking applications from eligible businesses for grants of up to £100k (at an intervention rate of up to 50 per cent of the total project cost).
The grant will help you achieve energy reduction measures after undergoing an energy audit via the Decarbonisation Net Zero Programme.
These Net Zero in Sandwell grants are to cover energy/resource efficiency improvements to your
business premises.
Here are some examples (and, please note, this is not an exhaustive list):
- Ventilation (fans, distribution, destratification fans)
- Heating (replacement boilers, burners, heat pumps)
- Renewable technologies
- Lighting (LED, controls, sensors)
- Refrigeration
- Compressors
- Insulation
- Recycling and waste (compactors, balers and crushers)
- Water management.
Once your business has undergone an energy audit, you can contact a member of our team about the grant. You can find out more by downloading the grant policy below. It gives you step-by-step information about the application process:
Sandwell Business Growth Plan
Launched in November 2023, the Sandwell Business Growth Plan sets out Sandwell Council’s strategy to support businesses over the next two financial years. Download it below and see how ‘Net Zero in Sandwell’ is embedded into our plans:
Sandwell Business Growth Plan
Download
More information and resources
