Charlotte Enright, Anglo Scottish Asset Finance.
Northumbria University and Anglo Scottish Asset Finance have joined forces to host a sustainability roundtable event for the North East construction sector. Taking place on 5 October, it will create a dialogue between major players in the construction supply chain, with Anglo Scottish and Northumbria University’s Newcastle Business School, set to facilitate collaboration and provide critical resources to enable green investment in process, project and product within the sector.
Taking place on 5 October, it will create a dialogue between major players in the construction supply chain, with Anglo Scottish and Northumbria University’s Newcastle Business School, set to facilitate collaboration and provide critical resources to enable green investment in process, project and product within the sector.
Alireza Shokri
Research Interest Group lead at Newcastle Business School.
What can attendees expect from the roundtable?
We will first get to the bottom of what everyone’s idea of ethical and green construction and green supply chain is. Gaining an understanding of what is going to be required to meet all stakeholder’s expectations is vital for a business to be successful. We will then look at the opportunities and challenges different providers face depending upon where they are on their journey to becoming more efficient and sustainable and the risks of inaction. Identifying required resources for environmental sustainability within the construction sector and how Anglo Scottish and Newcastle Business School can collaborate with attendees to help provide resources and investment to become a business that champions sustainability and, ultimately, a market leader will be a key discussion point.
Why is collaboration key to ensuring green investment within construction?
Within construction, most stakeholders, including SMEs, are firefighting and caught up in day-to-day operations, meaning they don’t have the time, nor the resource, to address inefficiencies. The sustainability agenda is such a vast and complicated one that many don’t know where to start but not addressing the issue is no longer going to be possible, as contractors face scrutiny over how sustainable their supply chains are and call for suppliers to level up.
Now, more than ever, it is essential that contractors and suppliers come together to support one another and find how they can prosper, together. Support outside of the supply chain is invaluable and Newcastle Business School has a wealth of knowledge and experts that have real-time experience in easing pain points for SMEs.
Charlotte Enright
Sustainability lead and business development manager, Anglo Scottish Asset Finance.
Why is finance an important part of the sustainability discussion?
When addressing inefficiencies, there will be many changes that are relatively easy and simple, requiring no capital investment. However, many businesses will find that investment is essential in some areas of their operations. This may be because they need to replace inefficient machinery or, for example, they may look to move to an electric vehicle fleet.
Another way that we can support businesses is with installation of renewable energy for example LED, battery storage and solar. In the current climate of rising energy bills this can help mitigate rising energy costs, often making projects cost neutral in the long-term or significantly reducing energy bills. We offer monthly finance payments and once the project is paid for at the end of the term, businesses benefit from lower monthly running costs and reduced carbon emissions.
Who is the roundtable event suitable for?
The event will provide invaluable insights and will be beneficial for all within the region’s construction sector, for this is a challenge no business can avoid and it must be addressed together.
There will also be opportunity to develop a sustainability plan, one of action and execution, for any business within the region’s construction value chain, if they so wish to engage with the Business School and Anglo Scottish going forward.