Cutting Carbon: How Blackpool Businesses Can Lead the Way

The UK has announced plans to cut emissions by 81% by 2035. But what does that mean for Blackpool businesses? And how could yours benefit?

COP29 in Azerbaijan towards the end of last year was a controversial event. Some criticised the lack of ambition or progress. Some criticised the event organisers for choosing to host the world’s biggest environmental congress in one of the world’s biggest oil producing nations. But progress was made, and the UK was one of the few major nations trying to nudge things in the right direction.

Encouraging other nations to match his ambition, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a new commitment to cut UK emissions by 81% by 2035. Developed in line with advice from the UK’s Climate Change Committee, this was an upgrade on the 78% pledge by the last government and, as the BBC noted, it broadly aligns with the UK’s legally-binding carbon-cutting path towards net-zero emissions by 2050, contained in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Speaking about the commitment, Sir Keir said the new UK target would be "difficult" but "achievable", although he stressed he still wanted government to "tread lightly on people's lives".

What does that mean exactly? Well, from a Blackpool business perspective, it’s effectively code for encouraging companies to explore the benefits of moving towards net zero for themselves, and then using the available support to do it without requiring any further government coercion.

Fortunately, there are lots of benefits to doing that and support to help you achieve it.

Benefits of cutting carbon

We’re not sure too many businesses would pursue net zero based on a government target alone. The good news is that, when you seize the opportunities in exploring carbon reduction in your business, the target side of things tends to look after itself. Here are just some of the immediate benefits:

Lower energy costs

Yes, of course low-carbon energy requires investment and it takes time to achieve payback. But it does pay back. Inflation may be settling down after some extremely rocky years, but prices are still only going up. Generating your own energy mitigates those increases and, depending on your business’ capacity to harness solar, wind or other renewable power, it could actively cut your costs. 

Energy security

In many ways, you could argue that this has become the number one issue for many businesses as we head into 2025. The world is as divided and fractious as it has been at any time since the Cold War. Every week we’re hearing tales of cut deep sea cables, espionage and downed drones near key infrastructure. Generating your own clean energy could help protect business continuity. 

Positive PR

There’s a lot of mileage to be made from operating in a sustainable way. It helps generate buzz, win friends, and build loyalty, especially when you push things a little.

Increased competitiveness

When you’re among the first in your sector/region to champion net zero (and you’d be amazed how many Blackpool businesses have yet to explore the potential of carbon reduction), you can gain a competitive advantage over your peers, you can win contracts with larger organisations that make sustainability a part of the tendering process, and you can increase your appeal to investors.

A smaller impact

The Prime Minister says he wants to tread lightly on people’s lives. Similarly, businesses that cut carbon tread lighter on the planet too. By exploring the actions you can take and supporting your suppliers to do likewise, you help support a business community that achieves more by using less. 

How to cut your carbon

You may not need convincing of the ‘why?’ of cutting emissions but the ‘how?’ might be rather more of a challenge. That’s where Blackpool Net Zero Business Academy can help.

Driven by Blackpool Council, the specialist, fully funded support from the UK Government's Shared Prosperity Fund helps Blackpool businesses on the journey to net zero, which in turn brings Blackpool closer to its carbon reduction ambitions.

From an audit to help you understand your carbon footprint, to expert advice on quick, low and no-cost wins, to support in making larger capex investments, it all starts with a quick call.

Find out more here or call 01253 478660