Saturday March 15 2025
Swindon & Wiltshire News
Businesses in Swindon laid out their plans for reducing their carbon emissions and helping their town to hit its net-zero target last week.
The UK’s first electric coach – Planet Mark’s Carbon Battle Bus – pulled up outside Swindon’s Steam Museum on a nationwide tour on its way to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, in Glasgow in November.
Inside the museum, representatives of more than 100 businesses learned more about COP26, what net-zero means, and how to make progress.
The event was also a chance to understand what is happening locally and how local businesses are taking action.
Cllr Keith Williams, cabinet member for climate change at Swindon Borough Council spoke about local climate action plans and the Be the Change campaign, which aims to encourage residents and businesses to take positive steps.
Arval spoke about the steps they had taken to encourage their workforce to switch to electric vehicles, and Nationwide spoke about their approach to decarbonise across its products and services and property portfolio.
Zurich UK gave an overview of how its staff had taken on net-zero and detailed how working from home during the pandemic has made it possible to change behaviours, particularly around paper use.
Electronics manufacturer IEW Ltd detailed the support that they received from Severn Wye through Target 2030 to access an energy survey and funding towards LED lighting and air-conditioning to lower its electricity demand.
And Recycling Technologies – an emerging plastic re-processor and Business West member – described how it set its engineers the challenge of lowering the energy demand of its production process.
Business West also took to the stage and talked through its approach to accelerating the journey to net-zero throughout the region.
Dave Battrick, manager of the Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative, which is part of Business West, said: “Having the Zero Carbon Tour come to Swindon was fantastic for our business community.
“Despite the enormous scale at which we need to take action, listening to our members and others share their approach to addressing climate change gives a sense of real optimism.
“In the run-up to COP26, there will be lots of opportunities for businesses to learn more about what needs to be done, Business West’s Trading to Net Zero hub is a great resource to find out what events and support is available in our region as well as signposting to simple guides.”
Pictured: Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative manager Dave Battrick with Nina Skubala, head of climate strategy at Business West
