Better Bankside secures Business Climate Challenge funding

Better Bankside has been awarded funding for the Mayor of London’s Business Climate Challenge to help 40 businesses in Bankside reduce their carbon emissions by 10% in one year.

The initiative, running alongside eight other business improvement districts across London, is an expansion of a pilot project run in 2021 with Better Bankside, the GLA and 19 participant businesses. Those businesses involved have saved an average of 17% reductions in carbon and energy costs, using mostly free or low-cost measures, with an average of £6,000 saved per annum on energy bills within the first year, with the possibility to save much more.

The funding for Better Bankside was announced at a London Climate Action week event on Friday 1 July, in partnership with the GLA, C40 cities, and SDLC, and keynote speaker Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirely Rodriguez. The event was held in Bankside at 15 Hatfields, a sustainable conferencing venue.

Better Bankside is asking for expressions of interest in taking part in the project, offering support for 40 businesses to reduce their carbon emissions and energy costs by 10% in 1 year, a crucial first step on a journey to Net Zero workplaces by 2030.

Any Bankside businesses interested in taking part in the project can register their interest here.

We’d be particularly interested from hearing from the decision makers of companies with commercial office spaces, as well as landlords of buildings, and building/facility managers from businesses in all sectors including commercial and hospitality sectors. Companies situated in railway arch properties are also of interest. Light-industrial sector businesses are not eligible.

The project focuses on making cost effective changes to buildings and their management, with a preference for commercial office businesses with 250 employees or less, however other demographics of buildings will be considered. Buildings make up 70% of London’s carbon emissions with non-residential buildings presenting 40%. An estimated 26,000 commercial properties require retrofitting a year to meet the objective of reaching net zero by 2030.