University supports SME’s plans to become a sustainable business

Buzz Education, a marketing to education agency based in Chorley, has recently completed a successful 140-hour Clean Growth Project in collaboration with Eco-I North West and the University of Liverpool.

Eco-I North West is a £14 million research project, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and delivered by one of six partner universities including the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, Lancaster University, UCLAN, the University of Cumbria and Manchester Metropolitan University.

The project was set up to help SMEs in the North West develop sustainable business solutions by completing low carbon research projects with the support of one of the partner universities.

Buzz Education accessed the funding to complete a Clean Growth Project with the University of Liverpool alongside a specialist environmental researcher from the School of Environmental Sciences.

Katy Lock, the project researcher, carried out an on-site assessment at Buzz Education to identify and analyse their scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions. She then compiled her research and findings into a bespoke report with short, medium, and long-term recommendations for reducing carbon in their day-to-day operations and how, in the long term, they can move towards net zero targets.

Adam Sanderson, Industrial Liaison Manager at the University of Liverpool said. “When Jen initially approached us about completing a funded research project on Eco-I NW, I could tell straight away that Buzz Education were an ideal candidate for the project.

"The team at Buzz are in the early stages of their journey towards sustainability but I could see straight away that there was clear intent to operate in a more sustainable way. In completing a Clean Growth Project with us on Eco-I NW, Buzz have been able to take their first steps to understanding their carbon output and initial areas for improvement and adaptation.

"This report will help to inform the decision-making process for the SME going forward and enable them to make great strides to becoming a low carbon business. The team at Buzz were fantastic to work with throughout the project and we look forward to seeing the changes they make and recommendations they take on board in the short, medium and long term.”

Through completing a Clean Growth project with the team at the University of Liverpool, Buzz Education now has a tailored sustainability framework to inform their future business activities and guide their Buzz Does strategy, their long-term innovative strategy for supporting people and the planet. They plan to continue leading the way as an environmentally and socially conscious business within their niche sector and hope to encourage other SMEs to follow suit.

With the information provided in their detailed research report, the team at Buzz Education are planning to implement both short and long-term measures to become a low carbon business.

An example of a short-term measure includes educating the wider team on the areas where they can reduce their energy consumption. One of their long-term plans includes relocating to new premises where they will invest in new energy-efficient office equipment, such as LED lighting.

Jen Murphy, Copywriter & Sustainability Lead at Buzz Education said “Working with the University of Liverpool on our Clean Growth Project has been an incredibly eye-opening experience.

"Before we signed up to the Eco-I NW project, we were lacking the knowledge to really kickstart our sustainable journey. But thanks to Katy and Adam, we are now in a strong position to accelerate our existing plans and start implementing new measures to reduce our carbon output.  We now understand the multitude of factors to consider when calculating our carbon footprint, the most suitable and trusted schemes available for offsetting carbon emissions, and the steps we need to take moving forwards on our sustainable journey. We feel incredibly grateful to have been part of such a brilliant project!"

Find out more about the Innovatory at this webpage.

[caption id="attachment_116773" align="alignnone" width="585"] Jen and Kate discuss the project[/caption]