| Home for business / Focus onÉSustainability Saving the Green Pound The environmental agenda is no longer a sideline project of the one employee who cycles to work; the environment is in the foreground as companies realise that conserving energy and © www.treegonk.com recycling make good business sense. I n just the last year, businesses have been affected by new legislation such as the disposal of electronic equipment and energy performance certificates for buildings. They have also experienced rising costs, especially for energy and fuel. Businesses are seeing their rivals gaining market position because of their green credentials and are becoming aware of consumers and employees choosing companies on ethical grounds. Companies know that their environmental performance matters. The concept is simple: the more effectively resources are used, the more money will be saved. Where can businesses find help? The Business Environment Partnership is available to help companies through all stages of environmental management from providing free advice to a SME looking for ways to save money, to helping a company to put in place an environmental management system. The BEP is a not-for-profit company funded in many cases to provide free advice to Scottish companies. It can help companies through the following services: Ą Free energy, waste and water audits Ą Student placement programmes Ą Environmental Management System implementation (e.g. ISO 14001, Green Tourism Business Scheme and ACORN) Ą Measuring carbon footprints Ą Corporate responsibility Ą Environmental events and training Ą Green networking New initiatives from the BEP Membership Services Đ with over 200 members, the network facilitates knowledge sharing and provides members with the skills and information on how to implement environmental improvements. Corporate Responsibility (CR) Workshops Đ Wilderness Scotland and the BEP are providing businesses with a unique opportunity to bring