PETERBOROUGH Environment City Trust (PECT) and Peterborough City Council are calling for local businesses to get involved with Small Change Big Difference Week next week (July 13-18).

The idea behind the week of action is that the cumulative impact of many small green actions will have a big overall effect on the city’s carbon footprint. Businesses in Peterborough are being asked to pledge to make one simple environmentally friendly change for a year. This could range from staff always switching off computer monitors at the end of the day, or making sure they only boil the water needed when making a cup of tea.

According to Jenna Hiley, Climate Change Officer at the City Council, simple changes do make a real difference. “Making a relatively small change in your work place will have a positive environmental impact and could save you money. For example lights left on overnight use enough energy in a year to heat a home for five months.

“We are asking local organisations to pledge to make one simple change and keep it up for a year. We have set up a mini-website for the campaign where businesses can log on, choose the pledge they want to make, and find out what impact that small change will have.”

Anne Corder Recruitment, which has recently become a paper free office, is the first Peterborough business to sign up for the Small Change, Big Difference Week. Karen Dykes from Ann Corder said, “We’re really excited about the week of action because as a company we are always looking to find new ways we can challenge ourselves to be greener.

“Campaigns like this puts reducing our environmental impact centre stage and we hope that by all staff making a small change we will make a real difference to our carbon footprint and save some money at the same time.”

The Carbon Trust have produced a series of posters which demonstrate just what a difference little changes can make. The posters are available on the pledge website for download.

Did you know?

• Your heating costs will go up by 8% each time you increase the temperature by just one degree. A 2°C increase in office temperature creates enough CO2 in a year to fill a hot air balloon.
• Car sharing to work 10 miles away will save you and your colleague £250 a year- more if there’s three of you!
• Leaving a computer on overnight for a year creates enough CO2 to fill a double-decker bus
• A photocopier left on standby overnight wastes enough energy to make 30 cups of tea.

To sign up to take part or download posters for your office visit www.ukenvironmentcapital.com/pledge

For more information visit Nyree Ambarchian from Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) on 01733 567159 or email nyree.ambarchian@pect.net