Carbon cuts

Organisations that want to reduce carbon emissions have until 9 January 2007 to sign up for government-funded grants up to £30,000 or £140,000.

The funds are being distributed through the Carbon Trust, an independent government-funded company whose role is to help UK business and the public sector reduce carbon emissions and capture commercial opportunities of low carbon technologies.

To apply for the funding, applicants are required to produce a detailed plan outlining how their initiative will deliver demonstrable carbon dioxide emissions savings. The Carbon Trust's Networks Programme will support groups who wish to launch awareness raising campaigns highlighting the cost of wasted energy and carbon emissions. The funding also backs the development of specific technical guidance and toolkits, designed to help industries manage their carbon reduction measures and overall energy use more effectively.

Organisations that have benefited from the funds in previous years include the Engineering Employers Federation, which used its £20,000 to roll out ten regional energy workshops. More than 170 manufacturers (who between them cover an estimated 500 sites) attended to learn more about benchmarking and managing their energy spend, with tips on process improvements as well as how to better manage their own heating and lighting systems.