BCC business engagement partners and participants.
The Mayor's Business Climate Challenge
The Mayor’s Business Climate Challenge (BCC) is an energy efficiency programme that has supported businesses to reduce their energy consumption and accelerate building decarbonisation efforts in London.
Emissions from heating and powering London’s commercial and industrial buildings currently make up 33 per cent of the capital’s carbon footprint. Decarbonising the city’s building stock is pivotal to reaching the Mayor's net zero target by 2030, to ensure a green and clean recovery from the pandemic and to support green jobs.
The programme provided free support to help make buildings more energy efficient, reduce energy costs and support businesses on their pathway to zero carbon. The BCC was developed with pro bono support from Bloomberg Associates, and built on learnings from other global cities.
The Business Climate Challenge has supported more than 200 businesses to decarbonise their buildings.
Meeting their efficiency targets could result in total energy cost reductions of up to £2m.
Businesses received bespoke, technical building audits to identify ways in which they could operate their workplaces more efficiently, with access to training opportunities and learning materials. Participants committed to reducing their energy consumption by 10 per cent in one year by implementing some or all of the recommended efficiency measures from their audit. Businesses that reached their energy reduction target were recognised by the Mayor at the end of the programme and received a certificate of achievement.
The programme worked with nine business engagement partners to help deliver the programme, who supported businesses in reducing their building emissions and finding more ways to improve their environmental credentials.
In 2021, the Mayor piloted an ambitious new programme to challenge businesses to play their part in tackling the climate emergency.
The Mayor partnered with the Better Bankside Business Improvement District (BID) in Southwark, working with its members to create commitment to reduced energy consumption. 19 businesses joined the BCC comitting to reduce their building’s energy consumption by 10 per cent within a year. The businesses received tailored technical advice from Turner & Townsend, who supported them to decarbonise their buildings and reduce their energy consumption.
Beyond reducing a key source of carbon emissions, improving workplace's energy efficiency has positive environmental and economic benefits for businesses. Findings from the pilot indicate that in only the first nine months of the programme BCC participants reduced their energy consumption on average by 16 per cent surpassing their target and saving £8,300 in energy costs.
Achieving energy savings comes at a low cost to businesses since more than half of the participants can meet or exceed their target by implementing energy-efficiency measures with an average cost of £3,800. So far the cohort has reduced 213 tonnes of carbon and accrued total cost savings of £116,300.
Below you can find out more about the awarded businesses, support provided and inspiring case studies.
Participants and support provided
The Business Climate Challenge provided free bespoke technical support to businesses.
Case studies
BE.Spoke is a provider of tailor-made workspaces across the UK and joined the Business Climate Challenge in 2021.
London Marathon Events case study of their involvement in the Mayor's Business Climate Challenge.
Shakespeare’s Globe worked with BCC’s energy efficiency experts to assess and understand their building features, equipment, and energy consumption.
Mylands took environmentally-friendly actions that would both reflect its values and enhance its marketing and business competitiveness.
ARK identified high-impact energy saving measures and was supported in submitting funding applications to undertake improvements.
Rathbone has kicked off a series of staff trainings to shift the organisation’s culture around energy saving.
With expert support, Utobeer identified priority energy-savings actions to undertake.
Open Credo highlighted the BCC’s data-rich energy audit and trainings as particularly valuable.
As a landlord, Europoint saw the programme as an opportunity to better collaborate with its tenants to boost building-wide energy efficiency.
Find out more and stay up to date
You can find more information about support to help you take climate action on the Grow London Local website.
If you have any questions, please contact us at: [email protected].