North West businesses asked to rise to the climate challenge

Over 200 of the region’s business leaders and environmental professionals attended the Prince’s May Day Summit at Manchester Airport to agree urgent and decisive action in the battle against climate change.

The NWDA is delighted to support the Prince’s May Day Summit once again in 2009. For a number of years, businesses within England’s Northwest have been recognising the issue of climate change for the high profile priority that it is. We are moving in the right direction towards a low carbon economy.

Representatives from Northwest’s business community - including United Utilities, Manchester Airport, Brother UK, British Telecom and the Cooperative Group - signed up to environmental pledges, heard announcements about new multi-million pound initiatives to cut carbon, and listened to a report on the North Pole Ice Cap beamed live from the Arctic.

Businesses were encouraged to support the drive for a low carbon Northwest by committing to pledges such as to measure their carbon footprints, develop a carbon action plan, and set absolute carbon reduction targets.

In his address, Bryan Gray, Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) Chairman and Chair of the May Day Network Steering Group, announced £30 million of investment that would underline the region’s commitment to lead the issue. He also warned not enough was currently being done, and that a target of signing up 1,000 companies in 100 days to pledge to tackle climate change was not nearly enough.

Bryan Gray said: “The NWDA is delighted to support the Prince’s May Day Summit once again in 2009. For a number of years, businesses within England’s Northwest have been recognising the issue of climate change for the high profile priority that it is. We are moving in the right direction towards a low carbon economy.”

Todd Holden, Director of Enworks - a member of the Climate Change Partnership  and May Day Network Steering Group member - said: “The event was a success because it allowed businesses to lead their own response to climate change, driving forward the debate and finding solutions together.  It was an opportunity to create leadership from within the business community, and for organisations to offer themselves as mentors to help and support each other. 

Explorer Pen Hadow reported on the North Pole ice Cap from the Arctic, where he is leading the Catlin Arctic Survey, being sponsored by Manchester-based, Brother UK.

He said: "Leaders in business are responsible for the value systems of their companies but the impact is also wider. Decisions made today will affect 10s if not 100s of millions of people's lives around the world. The time is now. Today is the day to make decisions and make a difference to global climate change." 

The summit was sponsored by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), United Utilities, Enworks and Envirolink.