Business rewarded for green outlook

Bizspace customer Eclipse Affinity has been given an award for its commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

Based at Calderdale Business Park, in Halifax, the company provides other businesses with specialist administration solutions. Eclipse Affinity received a bronze award from Calderdale Council to recognise the firm’s commitment to the authority’s Environmental Business Pledge.

Promoting sustainability

Calderdale Council wants to reduce its carbon emissions by 40% by 2020, using its 2005 emissions level as a starting point. And the council has called on businesses in the area, including Eclipse Affinity, to help it reach its target.

Eclipse Affinity’s Client and Business Development Director Claire Lupton and Customer Services Co-ordinator Julie Hanse attended the launch of Calderdale’s Energy Future in October. It was at this event that the company received its bronze award for the efforts it is making to minimise its impact on the environment.

Claire says: “It was an excellent event, which included workshops about business energy efficiency, public sector leadership, the Green Deal, community energy generation, landscape and climate, and the ‘Big Picture’. Representatives from Nestle and Interface were also present and received awards for their contribution.

“We were proud to be part of the event and to show our commitment.”

Network aims to boost energy efficiency

As a member of the Calderdale Future Environmental Business Pledge scheme, Eclipse Affinity automatically becomes a member of Calderdale Carbon Club. This is a peer-to-peer network of businesses in the Calderdale area, focusing on ways they can become more energy efficient and help the environment.

Eclipse Affinity is already an accredited Green Deal installer for the Yorkshire region for gas fired condensing boilers, heating system insulation and heating controls. The Green Deal is a Government initiative to help residents and businesses make energy-saving improvements to reduce their carbon footprint and save money on their electricity bills.

It allows people to pay back the cost of the improvements over time instead of upfront, making it a more affordable option for many. The money is paid back through the consumer’s electricity bill over a 25-year period and the idea is that the measures will save enough energy to pay for themselves.

The debt is tied to the property rather than the consumer so if a business leaves its premises, the Green Deal passes on to the next occupiers.

For more information on Calderdale Business Park, contact Business Centre Manager Debbi Gillham on 01422 330 433.