The Green Network for Businesses has so far welcomed nearly 300 businesses from all over Scotland who have made improvements to save energy, cut waste and reduce costs. It features organisations of all kinds; from shops and cafes to community organisations and large corporations and everything in between.
The network brings learning to life. It’s a place where businesses can show off their green credentials, share best practice, and where others can be inspired to make their business more sustainable.
Network members have taken action to make their business greener. This may be through staff engagement, energy efficiency improvements or installing renewable technologies. Our members include the Scottish Parliament, Volunteer Scotland, and the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow; so you’re in good company.
Whether you’re thinking about training your staff in sustainability, upgrading your lighting or heating systems to save energy and money, or investing in renewable technology to generate your own electricity, there are others in the network with first-hand experience. The network aims to create a community of organisations with the experience and confidence to encourage others to follow suit.
The Green Network for Businesses is managed by Energy Saving Trust in coordination with Business Energy Scotland. The service is also delivered by Energy Saving Trust and the Green Network for Businesses is hosted on their site. Energy Saving Trust manages and delivers the Green Network for Businesses tool, organising case studies, and arranging speakers for events.
How to become a member.
If you aren’t a member yet, sign up and show off your green credentials.
Join the network by emailing gnfb@businessenergyscotland.org, we’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.
What you’ll get out of being a member of the Green Network for Businesses.
There are lots of benefits. We like to think that the biggest one will come from leading by example, sharing experience, and inspiring others. But there are lots of other benefits too.
Membership of our exclusive LinkedIn group.
It’s a place for members to connect, share ideas, and get advice on making your businesses greener. To become a member, find the group here and request to join. If there are other members of staff from your organisation that would like to join, they are welcome too.
What to expect from the LinkedIn Group:
- Advice from members – This is your opportunity to ask other businesses, especially those outside your sector, about their experiences and ask for advice before you undertake your own projects. Have you got a burning question about a staff campaign you’d like to run? Or maybe you want to know what it was like installing solar panels? Ask other businesses what they did to make their project a success.
- Answers to your questions – If you’ve got a question about the network or anything green-business related, you can ask us here and we’ll do our best to answer it.
- Spotlights on success – We’ll spotlight businesses who’ve achieved something special or run a particularly successful campaign, and we’ll encourage other business to do the same. We’ll also highlight case studies on our network that have been particularly popular with others.
- Make connections – Make connections with like-minded people in other businesses. Perhaps you’re thinking of hosting an event and need a speaker? If so, you may find a member willing to support you with their expertise.
- Network updates – We’ll also share useful information with you too, for example membership surveys or website updates.
- A place to keep in touch – The group is a great way to keep in touch with network news and contacts that you’ve made. Even if you decide to leave your current organisation, you’re welcome to stay a member.
A great conversation starter.
People are increasingly making decisions about where to buy products and services by whether a company’s values align with their own. By joining our network, you’ve shown that your business is committed to becoming more sustainable and that you’re keen to inspire others to make a difference.
The membership logo provided with this email will help you stand out to your customers and stakeholders too. Use the logo on your website and social media to tell people about your network membership and direct them to your case study to find out more. It’s a great way for them to access your case study so they can easily understand your business’s ethics.
Additional PR exposure.
If your business has achieved something extraordinary because of your green efforts, we can let other members know through our newsletters and our LinkedIn group. Being a member is a great way to get your green credentials out there.
Networking opportunities.
Each of our members already have something in common; they want to make their business more sustainable and share their experiences and lessons learned with others. You’ll have the chance to network with other members on our LinkedIn group or at our events.
Speaking at events.
If you’d like to support us at events, we will get in touch from time to time to let you know about any coming up. We’ll talk you through what’s expected and how it will benefit the audience.
Green Champion training events run throughout the year; these aim to create the next generation of green business ambassadors. These training events are an excellent opportunity for you to share what you’ve learned with a wider audience. Sometimes we hold more bespoke events; for example, a webinar focusing on a specific topic such as installing renewable technologies. For these events, we will contact members who have specific experience so that other members can learn from their first-hand experience.
Open days.
In recent years, we’ve run open day events where multiple businesses open their doors to the public to talk about the green changes that they’ve made. While these have not been possible recently, this is something we hope to do again in the future.