Skip to page content

Great Start

Click to slide down

Home » Grow » Sector Growth » Green sector growth » Great Start

Support for businesses to GROW to become sustainable and start your journey to net Zero

 

Great Start helps businesses across all sectors to transition towards net zero.

Did you know that –

88% of consumers will be more loyal to a company that supports social or environmental issues (Forbes)

Overall sales revenue can increase by up to 20% due to corporate responsibility practices ( Harvard business Review)

88% of consumers will be more loyal to a company that supports social or environmental issues ( Forbes)

Wherever you are on your journey to net zero, our free videos and content can support your business.

The great start scheme is here to educate you and your business on sustainability, provide digital content to show you why sustainability for your business is important and show you ways and means to apply it practically. We want to show you ways that going greener can still be profitable and maybe more. What taking consideration for the environment and your business’ impact can do for you within your own supply chain and look at helping open new opportunities through change.

Take Action – what to do now

  • Watch the video content on youtube
  • Educate yourself and your people on sustainability, net zero, carbon footprints and use this to start taking action.
  • We recommend as a starting point you take the three points below. This will give you a baseline to start with and a simple way to look at how to take that baseline and start making changes, even small ones to making your business sustainable.
  • Calculate the carbon footprint for your business
  • Create a sustainability plan
  • Set a carbon reduction plan
  • There are many ways to reduce carbon or become more sustainable and we aim to provide as many ways to take these through Great Start so keep coming back to this site and we will be adding more content regularly.
  • Digital Badges – There are digital badges to get alongside the content and these are a great way of showing your progress both individually and as a business

 

 

 

Key dates

2024

2025

2026

2030

2035

2045

2050

 

Digital Badging

The video content we have made includes digital badging. This means that every employee that watches the content can get the relevant badge to show that they have learnt about that area of sustainability and con do this by using the QR code on each video. We want you to show that you are learning and developing your understanding and use the badges on linkedin profiles and websites to tell your customers how you are getting on.

https://myskillspass.uk

If you already have an account in https://myskillspass.uk, we have saved your badge there. Otherwise you can create your free account by clicking the button below:

Go to Passport##

https://myskillspass.uk is a free, easy to use service, where you can receive and store your Open Badges safely and share them with whomever you like and wherever you like.

Start earning Open Badges right after creating an account! You can find badges in Passport’s Gallery that you can apply for from all over the world. Discover new possibilities and create different paths for your Open Badge journey!

Download Open Badge Passport app:

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

Glossary of sustainability, Net-Zero and Green terms

A

  • ACC: Anthropogenic Climate Change
  • AGW: Anthropogenic Global Warming
  • Acidification: Decrease in the pH of the oceans due to increased carbon dioxide.
  • Aerial Litter: Litter that is released into the air, such as balloons and sky lanterns.

B

  • Biodiversity: Variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat.
  • Biodegradable: Capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms.
  • Biofuel: Fuel derived from organic matter.
  • BPA: Bisphenol A, a chemical used in plastics.

C

  • Carbon Footprint: Total greenhouse gases emitted by an individual, organization, event, or product.
  • Carbon Neutral: Achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions.
  • Circular Economy: An economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources.
  • Climate Change: Long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place.

D

  • Decarbonization: Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions through the use of low carbon power sources.
  • Deforestation: The clearing of trees, transforming a forest into cleared land.

E

  • Ecosystem: A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
  • Emissions: The production and discharge of something, especially gas or radiation.
  • ESG: Environmental, Social, and Governance criteria used to evaluate a company’s operations.

F

  • Fossil Fuels: Natural fuels such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.

G

  • GHGs: Greenhouse Gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, that trap heat in the atmosphere.
  • Greenwashing: Deceptive practice where a company exaggerates or falsely advertises its environmental efforts.

H

  • Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs): Synthetic compounds used in refrigeration and air conditioning, potent greenhouse gases.

I

  • IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a UN body for assessing the science related to climate change.
  • ISO: International Organization for Standardization, which develops and publishes international standards.

J

  • JIT: Just-in-Time, a production strategy that reduces in-process inventory and associated costs.

K

  • Kyoto Protocol: An international treaty that commits its parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

L

  • LCA: Life Cycle Assessment, a technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product’s life.

M

  • Microplastics: Small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long which can be harmful to our ocean and aquatic life.

N

  • NDCs: Nationally Determined Contributions, commitments by countries to reduce national emissions and adapt to climate change.

O

  • Offsets: Projects that compensate for carbon emissions by reducing or capturing greenhouse gases elsewhere.

P

  • Paris Agreement: An international treaty on climate change aiming to limit global warming to below 2°C.
  • PCR: Post-Consumer Recycled, materials that have been recycled after being used by consumers.

Q

  • QMS: Quality Management System, a framework for documenting processes, procedures, and responsibilities.

R

  • Renewable Energy: Energy from sources that are naturally replenishing, such as wind or solar power.
  • Recycling: The process of converting waste into reusable material.

S

  • Sustainability: Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
  • SECR: Streamlined Energy and Carbon reporting requirements

T

  • Triple Bottom Line: A sustainability framework that includes social, environmental, and financial performance.

U

  • Upcycling: Reusing discarded objects or material in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original.

V

  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature.

W

  • Waste Management: The collection, transportation, and disposal of garbage, sewage, and other waste products.

X

  • Xeriscaping: Landscaping that reduces or eliminates the need for irrigation.

Y

  • Yield: The amount of crop produced in a given area.

Z

  • Zero Waste: The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.

 

    Contact us

    Contact us via extraordinaryessex@essex.gov.uk or complete our contact form below:

    Ambitious Essex

    Business support and sector development

    The business support team can assist businesses with grants, support and contacts in Essex