Digbeth cycle courier firm scoops low carbon prize
A Digbeth firm which offers a zero-emission courier and postal service was among the winners of the 2nd West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Awards.
Cycle4U beat off fierce competition to pick up the Low Carbon Micro award for businesses with five employees or fewer at the awards, which were organised by Business in the Community and supported by Sustainability West Midlands.
The company makes its deliveries exclusively by bicycle with a trailer for larger items, and its clients include the NHS Primary Care Trust and local government departments.
It has delivered over 22,000 items in its first 10 months of trading.
The ceremony was also a cause for celebration for PricewaterhouseCoopers, who won the Carbon Reduction Cost Saving prize for businesses with over 250 employees.
The firm has implemented a formal sustainability framework which has seen its carbon output reduce by 9 per cent during its first two years, in line with tough five-year reduction targets.
It has also targeted waste reduction with initiatives such as a 10 per cent discount on coffee from its catering supplier when staff use their own mugs, which it hopes will act as a catalyst in changing staff attitudes towards sustainability.
David Darlaston, regional director of Business in the Community, said: "The West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Awards build on the success of last year’s C+ Carbon Positive Awards.
"The applications we received demonstrated outstanding levels of innovation and a high quality of technical understanding which will make a great impact in our region on reducing carbon.
"It is of the utmost importance that the region as a whole embraces the Carbon Reduction Commitment and the achievements recognised here will promote the benefits felt by companies who have made concerted efforts to run in a more efficient manner.
"Hopefully these benefits will serve as inspiration to others and lead to a further increase in entries for 2011."
Among the most prolific entrants in this year's awards were the Environment Agency and the Energy Saving Trust who saw their joint application reap a double reward, emerging victorious in both the Low Carbon Employee Engagement and Most Transferable Best Practice categories.
The Low Carbon Economy Awards were held as part the Prince’s Mayday Network activity.
The Mayday Network is an initiative founded by HRH Prince of Wales in 2007 to challenge, support and inspire as many businesses as possible towards a more sustainable future.
Currently involving around 2,500 companies, the network also showcases low emissions breakthroughs and best practices in order to encourage other businesses to take action.
Full list of winners:
Carbon Reduction Cost Saving Award 2010
Winner < 250 employees
Caplor Farm
Winner > 250 employees
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Highly Commended
Amcor Flexibles
Most Promising New Low Carbon Product/Service
Winner > 250 employees
Amcor Flexibles
Business Growth or Diversification Award
Winner < 250 employees
Encraft
Low Carbon Employee Engagement Award
Winner < 250 employees
Arena Coventry
Winner > 250 employees
Environment Agency/Energy Saving Trust
Highly Commended
Sandwell Homes
Low Carbon Micro
Cycle4U
Low Carbon Communities
Snitterfield Actioning Climate Change
Most Transferable Best Practice
Environment Agency/Energy Saving Trust
West Midlands Low Carbon Pioneer
Amcor Flexibles
