Saving the planet one business at a time

City of Sydney Council has commenced an initiative to help businesses save on costs while helping the environment.

As part of a two-year plan called ‘Smart Business Live Green’, Council will be providing free environmental sustainability assessments aimed at helping small businesses in Sydney to reduce water, waste and energy costs.

Greens Councillor Chris Harris said there were two distinct benefits to the scheme.

“People aren’t aware that by becoming more efficient, they can actually improve their bottom line,” he said.

“It will open the door for the business owner to save some money … and by pointing these things out and encouraging people to do things that are feasible to do, it will [also] improve our emissions performance.”

Mr Harris added that energy savings would become more important for businesses with the price of power set to rise in the future.

He identified energy consumption along with traffic congestion as two areas requiring action in the immediate future.

“If we could address just those two things it the next five years it would make a huge difference,” he said.

“It’s [the environmental sustainability assessment plan] a good initiative, the Greens did suggest this about three years ago, and I’m glad that the City is now acting on it.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the plan was a great way to reduce costs in business through more efficient use of resources.

“Smart Business Live Green is a practical step towards making Sydney a leader in environmental sustainability. This initiative responds to environmental challenges in a way that makes environmental, social and economic sense,” she said.

The program identifies possible government funding or rebates for water and energy upgrades and will provide a number of opportunities for businesses to save money and expand their networks.

According to Council more than 45 businesses have already signed up for the free assessment.