Over 200 London businesses to get support to reduce emissions

More than 200 businesses in London will soon receive financial support to reduce energy bills and cut carbon emissions, the Mayor of London has announced.

Under Mayor Sadiq Khan’s programme Business Climate Challenge (BCC), businesses which commit to cutting their energy usage by 10% a year will receive £6,000 to go towards energy efficiency improvements.

Businesses which have already signed up include Africa Centre, a charity promoting African cultural experiences, Indian restaurant Namaste Holborn and 20 GP practices.

The scheme will help London to achieve its net zero by 2030 target, as approximately 15,000 tonnes of CO2 could be saved through the initiative.

Khan said: ‘The cost-of-living crisis has deeply affected business in the capital and they are facing tough decisions on whether to adequately heat and light their premises or save money on energy bills.

‘No business should face the risk of shutting down due to energy price shocks. The Business Climate Challenge is an excellent way for businesses across London to gain the confidence, knowledge and tools they need to help cut their energy costs, save energy, reduce their emissions and futureproof their organisations.

‘We saw some great results from the pilot scheme in 2021 and I’m glad we’ve been able to extend this scheme to support an additional 200 businesses. However, there is still much more to be done in order to build a better London for everyone – a safer, greener and more prosperous city for all.’

According to the the 2023 ONS Business Insights and Conditions Survey, one in five London businesses found their production or their production and suppliers were affected by high energy bills.

This has forced around half of businesses to absorb costs, with 22% passing on prices to customers.

Commercial buildings in London are also responsible for 18% of the city’s carbon emissions, highlighting just how crucial it is to improve energy efficiency.

Khan’s BCC programme was first launched as a pilot in 2021 in collaboration with Bloomberg Associates, aiding 19 organisations, such as Shakespeare’s Globe, to reduce energy usage by 16%. Businesses were also able to save an average of £15,774 on bills.

Now the BCC is working on releasing publicly available resources to help London businesses reduce energy use through three training courses and 12 ‘how-to’ guides.

Photo by Kid Circus