Climate Springboard is a free business support programme that has now opened its doors to any Scottish SME. Designed to simplify the net zero landscape, this unique and action orientated programme was created from a partnership between ECCI, the University of Edinburgh and Royal Bank of Scotland.
Why take part in Climate Springboard?
In response to the Climate emergency, Scotland has set a target to transition to Neto Zero by 2045. SMEs are key to this transition. Not only are businesses now facing new regulation and funding requirements based around climate, but are feeling the effects of climate change today. It is now essential that businesses can report on their climate emissions, implement a climate strategy and adapt.
The net zero landscape can feel overwhelming for SMEs who are juggling other commitments. Climate Springboard breaks it all down to simple to follow steps.
What to expect from the programme?
Climate Springboard will provide an overview of the Scottish net zero landscape including; upcoming regulation aimed at businesses, funding requirements and supply chain fluctuations.
The programme will provide businesses with the tools and knowledge to report your carbon emissions and develop a strategy document in line with government protocols.
Climate Springboard allows businesses to gain access to low-cost action plans and get tailored support to reduce their energy consumption and costs.
You will get to connect with likeminded businesses and learn from each other.
Find a full overview of the programme and information on how to get started on the Climate Springboard website.
The August edition of Executive Magazine is here, and we’re excited to relaunch the Caithness Chamber of Commerce Newsletter—brimming with the latest business insights and success stories from across the North Highlands!
Grab your coffee and dive into this must-read issue, featuring the latest industry news, movers and shakers, and exciting opportunities, including:
- O’Brien Recycling: A SEPA-accredited family business in the North Highlands, leading the charge toward ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ with expert waste management and strong community ties.
- Gow’s Lybster: Expanding horizons, Gow’s Lybster secures major contracts in the UK’s nuclear and energy sectors with their enhanced mechanical engineering services.
- Orano in Caithness: Leveraging global nuclear expertise, Orano bolsters local supply chains while supporting decommissioning efforts at Dounreay.
- Green Engineering Course at UHI: UHI North, West, and Hebrides launches a fully funded green engineering course, empowering local engineers with sustainable skills.
- Thistle Wind Partners Event: Thistle Wind Partners is set to host a dynamic supply chain event in Thurso, engaging local businesses in the future of offshore wind projects.
- CC Chocolatier: Satisfy your sweet tooth—CC Chocolatier opens a new shop in Bower, offering delectable patisserie treats and handcrafted chocolates.
- Taste North Food & Drink Festival 2024: Calling all exhibitors—join the celebration of Highland food, drink, and crafts at this year’s Taste North Food & Drink Festival in November.
Don’t miss out—read all this and more in the latest issue!
Rooted in the Highlands, Driven by Sustainability: Discover How O’Brien Recycling is Shaping a Greener Future.
Located on their family croft in East Caithness, with breathtaking vistas over the North Sea, O’Brien’s Recycling is a standout in the recycling industry. Originally established as a scrap business in the 1980s, this family-run enterprise has been a cornerstone of the North Highlands community for over three generations. By adding skip hire and waste management to their services in 2014, their unwavering commitment to ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ has turned waste into valuable resources, fostering sustainability and innovation in their community.
With the husband-and-wife team, Alan and Lisa, now leading the charge, the SEPA-accredited O’Brien’s Recycling is poised for a bright and sustainable future, and their dedication is making a lasting impact on both the environment and the local economy.
You commit to ensuring ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’. Can you explain how this is implemented across your operational practices?
Our commitment to ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ is central to everything we do. Each skip we process is meticulously sorted by hand and segregated into specific waste streams to ensure that nothing is missed. We recycle or reuse everything we handle, and any material that cannot be reused is sent for further processing or converted into waste-to-energy. This rigorous approach ensures that we minimise our environmental footprint and contribute positively to the circular economy.
Our meticulous sorting process and partnerships with specialised processing facilities enable us to uphold our sustainability commitment and consistently achieve our ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ goal. O’Brien’s is proud to be the only SEPA-accredited recycling centre north of Alness, providing a vital local recycling and waste management facility for Caithness, Sutherland, and the northern Highlands.
What services do you offer and what differentiates your business from your competitors?
Our waste management licence offers our customers complete peace of mind. Being SEPA-controlled means we adhere to strict protocols, and our commitment to waste segregation is guaranteed as all processes are conducted in-house.
We offer a wide range of services, including skip hire, scrap metal recycling, and comprehensive waste management solutions. What truly sets us apart is our hands-on approach and dedication to ensuring that every piece of waste is handled responsibly.
Our family values, combined with decades of expertise and a forward-thinking mindset, ensure that our customers receive reliable, environmentally conscious service that makes a real difference. We work in partnership with our customers to help them meet their own sustainability commitments. This commitment is just one way we contribute to a more sustainable future for all.
In what ways does O’Brien’s Recycling contribute to the local economy and community in Caithness? Are there any partnerships or initiatives you’re particularly proud of?
We are deeply invested in our local community, and giving back is a core principle of our business. We proudly sponsor several local sports clubs and groups, promoting health, wellness, and community spirit in Caithness, including, Wick Academy, Wick Golf Club, Brora Rangers, Keep Lybster Tidy, and Thrumster Primary School.
As a family-run business operating for over three generations, we also provide stable employment opportunities. Our small but growing team is comprised of individuals from the local area, ensuring that our success directly benefits the community.
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for O’Brien’s Recycling? Are there any upcoming projects or goals that excite you?
We are proud of our journey and excited about the future. Our values and accreditations have helped us secure new contracts with major organisations in the region, including NRS Dounreay, NHS Highland, Vestas, Farrans, and SSE. We believe that by continuing to innovate and expand our services, we can make an even greater positive impact on our environment and community.
We are particularly excited about upcoming projects that will enhance our recycling capabilities and further reduce waste. These initiatives will reinforce our commitment to sustainability for generations to come and ensure that O’Brien’s Recycling remains at the forefront of environmental responsibility in the North Highlands.
obrienrecycling@btinternet.com ┃ www.obrienrecycling.co.uk
Did your business feel the pain of recent energy price hikes? Are you wondering what you can do to be more resilient to price volatility in the energy markets in the future?
You’re not alone. Many forward-thinking businesses across Scotland – from factories to offices, shops to holiday parks, care homes to community halls – are taking charge of their energy bills by generating their own power.
And the great news is that there is free government support to help you, including free and impartial advice and funding for eligible microgeneration projects.
What is microgeneration?
Microgeneration means creating your own electricity and/or heat using small, renewable energy systems. Unlike big power stations, microgeneration systems are installed right where you need them – on your site.
The main types of microgeneration technologies suitable for small and medium sized businesses include:
- Solar panels
- Wind turbines
- Micro hydro
- Heat pumps
If you would like to find out if your business could take charge of its energy bills by generating its own power, Business Energy Scotland’s range of guides, videos and case studies will help you.
And the good news is that Business Energy Scotland is providing free and impartial advice and access to funding to help too.
Visit here for further information
Get ready to celebrate your business’s achievements with the Inverness Chamber of Commerce Highland Business Awards. These Awards are open to businesses of all sizes and types across the Highland region. Whether you’re a new business or have been established for a while, there’s a category for you. Winning or being shortlisted for an award gives you recognition and a reason to be proud for the entire year!
Caithness Chamber of Commerce is proud to once again sponsor the Highland Business Award for Resilience, designed for a business that has successfully adapted its operations to overcome a short-term challenge and continued to thrive.
Trudy Morris, Chief Executive, Caithness Chamber of Commerce commented:
The Oxford English Dictionary defines resilience as “the ability of a substance to return to its usual shape after being bent, stretched, or pressed”. I find this definition particularly fitting when considering the strength and adaptability of our Highland business community, which withstands and recovers from challenges, facing adversity head-on. However, I would argue that the most resilient businesses are not those that return to their original form, but those that harness the power of challenge to grow, adapt, and thrive, finding new ways of working and opportunities for success.
Our mission remains to nurture a successful, sustainable, and diverse North Highland economy. Our motto, “Stronger Together,” embodies our commitment to this goal, and these awards are a fantastic example of the power of community and the strength that comes from uniting to uplift and support one another. They provide an excellent opportunity to celebrate the very best of Highland businesses and showcase the innovation, ambition, and unique skills of our region.”
Nominations are open until 5.00pm on 9 August.
The Highland Business Awards is one of the flagship events of Inverness Chamber of Commerce that celebrates the achievements of businesses throughout the region. This year there are ten diverse categories to choose from, so enter or nominate now to recognise the businesses and individuals that are integral to sustaining a strong Highland economy.
See all of the categories and download an application pack online at: Highland Business Awards 2024 – Inverness Chamber of Commerce (inverness-chamber.co.uk)
The third Highlands and Islands Climate Festival will take place from the 1st – 30th September 2024. The festival is a celebration of community led climate action. It shines a light on the incredible work happening where we live and its impact on our people and planet.
The festival is organised by the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub and a group of active community groups from across the region. The Hub has been able to offer small grants to communities to support participation within the festival and is thrilled to have received over 40 applications from communities in Highland, Orkney & Shetland. The festival programme is predicted to see well over 100 events take place throughout the duration of the festival.
To support communities and to allow the festival to grow, the Highlands and Islands Climate Festival has this year launched a range of sponsorship opportunities. Businesses are invited to get involved with festival activities by hosting events, welcoming community groups into workplaces or using corporate volunteer hours to support events and community projects.
Businesses are also invited to make a financial contribution to the festival which will allow organisers to build on its success and create a bigger and better festival for 2025. Sponsorship opportunities are tailored to individual businesses and will be shaped to you and your brand. Packages start from £50 and offer the opportunity to advertise your company in a number of ways; demonstrating support for climate action in the Highlands & Islands and supporting communities taking positive action towards a climate ready region.
The Highlands and Islands Climate Festival boasts a strong digital presence with a dedicated website and social media channels on which supporters will be widely advertised. The festival team are excited to discuss options with climate conscious businesses in the Highlands and Islands.
To register your interest in getting involved in the festival in any way, please contact hello@hiclimatefest.co.uk
Photography Credits: Niamh Ross Photography
The Taste North Food & Drink Festival are inviting producers and exhibitors to register interest in attending the 2024 event, due to take place in Wick on Sunday 3rd November.
The 2023 showcase of Highland food and drink attracted a footfall of over 1700 last November and has also been shortlisted in the ‘Outstanding Cultural Festival or Event’ category in this year’s Highlands and Islands Thistle Awards. Last year Taste North showcased over 40 food, drink and craft exhibitors, professional chef and cocktail demonstrations, family friendly activities, and a record number of entries for the Taste North Challenge for enthusiastic bakers of all ages.
Organised by Venture North, the Destination Management Organisation for Caithness and Sutherland, the festival provides a premium pre-Christmas opportunity for communities and visitors to gather and enjoy the wealth of Highland food and drink with a strong Love Local ethos.
Taste North has been in operation since 2015 and continues to be due to the generous support of many organisations in the region. Sponsors and funders to date for 2024 are RWE Camster and Stroupster Wind Farm Community Funds administered by Foundation Scotland, Dunrobin Castle, Mackays Hotel, Wick and Developing the Young Workforce – North Highland.
Cathy Earnshaw, Destination Strategy Manager for Venture North said, “The feedback we received from attendees and exhibitors was that Taste North 2023 was the “best one yet”. It is hard to describe the joy of the buzz and atmosphere for all the family on the day. We are planning even more for 2024 and a very special 10th anniversary event in 2025. We would love to work with more accommodation, experiences and hospitality providers interested in events or offers around Taste North, encouraging even more opportunities for visitors and locals to enjoy our region at quieter times of the year”.
To register interest as an exhibitor when applications open or for details on Taste North opportunities, please email info@venture-north.co.uk
A new, fully funded, short course aimed at engineers and technicians looking to train in green engineering maintenance skills is now open for applications from businesses.
The ‘Green Engineers for the Future’ five-day short course is a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, focusing on sustainability and the integration of engineering maintenance and control practices with ‘green principles.’
The course will be delivered from August in the newly opened Green Engineering Maintenance Workshop based in UHI North, West and Hebrides’ Engineering, Technology and Energy Centre in Thurso.
The official opening of the workshop took place earlier this month and welcomed funders, local employers and staff, giving them the opportunity to learn more about the course, meet the team, and tour the facilities.
Lydia Rohmer, Principal and Chief Executive of UHI North, West and Hebrides, welcomed attendees at the launch event and said: “This training course is aimed at people already working in the engineering industry, who want to upskill in green engineering skills and drive more sustainable practices in their business. It will provide an important platform to help engineers and technicians apply ‘greener’ and more sustainable practices to their operations. This is particularly important for businesses in our region, who are leading the way when it comes to renewable energy and the move towards net zero.”
The course and workshop have been supported and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through the Highland Council’s Green Skills Training Fund.
The funding has not only enabled the construction of the new workshop but will also fully fund the initial six training cohorts for businesses. Priority funded enrolment will be given to small and microbusinesses, ensuring that local enterprises have access to essential green skills training.
Two course sessions are scheduled to begin on August 19th and October 21st, with three additional courses planned for late 2024 and early 2025. Limited places are still available for these upcoming sessions.
For more information about the ‘Green Engineers for the Future’ course or to book a place, please contact: Business.nwh@uhi.ac.uk.
This new course is part of continued development of the Engineering offer across UHI North, West and Hebrides which also includes a new Future Energy Lab and engineering training facilities at the Stornoway campus. These new facilities will officially open later this year as part of their Outer Hebrides Campus Redevelopment Project.
ERI – Environmental Research Institute, UHI, Thurso, May 2023
UHI North, West and Hebrides, in collaboration with NatureScot Peatland ACTION, is excited to announce the launch of the ‘For Peat’s Sake’ project, which will deliver an introductory peatland restoration training course to businesses.
The five-day course, An Introduction to Peatland Restoration, will combine classroom-based learning with practical field trips equipping businesses with an introduction to peatland ecology, wildlife habitats, restoration techniques and hill working safety, while addressing the growing need for skilled professionals in the peatland restoration sector.
The course will take place week beginning Monday 2 September at the RSPB Flows Field Centre at Forsinard. It includes an optional one day of ATV Argo training and guidance on tendering for restoration projects. Participants will gain hands-on experience preparing them to contribute effectively to the Scottish Government’s ambitious peatland restoration targets.
Peatland ACTION, a key partner in the project, is a national programme led by Scottish Government, which offers funding to improve the condition of degraded peatlands across Scotland. Restoring peatlands is one of the most effective ways of locking in carbon – providing a nature-based solution to both the climate crisis and biodiversity loss.
Anne Murray, a NatureScot Peatland ACTION Workforce Development Adviser, said: “We’re delighted to collaborate with UHI North, West and Hebrides to develop and deliver this important training. Helping businesses develop the skills to engage in the peatland restoration sector is a key focus of our workforce development activities in the Peatland ACTION programme. Peatland restoration projects create opportunities for businesses across the rural economy and this training course will be a good introduction to the skills and knowledge needed to engage in this growing sector.”
In 2020, the Scottish Government set a target to restore 250,000 hectares of degraded peatland by 2030, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for the region. The Peatland ACTION programme delivered over 10,000 hectares of restoration work last year, highlighting the increasing activity in this sector. The ‘For Peat’s Sake’ project is key to addressing the skill gaps identified in the Peatland Skills Action Plan, which highlighted the urgent need for training in this emerging sector.
UHI North, West and Hebrides, Principal and Chief Executive, Lydia Rohmer said: “As peatland restoration efforts accelerate to meet climate change targets, there is a significant demand for a skilled workforce capable of delivering this work. This free training will support businesses to develop the understanding and expertise needed to undertake effective restoration projects and support the region’s wider economic and environmental goals.”
Adding to the significance of this project is the Flow Country’s aim to become the UK’s next natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recognised for its vast, unspoiled blanket bogs, the Flow Country is a vital carbon sink and a globally important habitat. This training programme will not only contribute to regional climate goals but also support the preservation and enhancement of an area of international environmental importance.
The ‘For Peat’s Sake’ project is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through Highland Council, making this training free for Highland-based businesses considering involvement in peatland restoration. A key requirement of the funding is that attendees must be paid their usual wage by their employer during the training period.
In the event of oversubscription for this training, places available to an individual business may be limited and priority will be given to those businesses who are able to demonstrate how they will make use of the learning. Additionally, priority will be given, in the following order, to:
- Businesses named in the UKSPF application.
- Other businesses based in Caithness and North Sutherland.
- Other businesses based in The Highland Council area.
This training initiative presents an excellent opportunity for businesses to enhance their capabilities and contribute to the region’s economic and environmental goals.
For further information or to express interest, please contact Business.nwh@uhi.ac.uk.