Rising energy costs, the climate emergency and increasing consumer pressure continue to challenge the way that businesses across Scotland manage their environmental performance.

This webinar from Zero Waste Scotland, designed for small and medium sized enterprises, will pack the entire Green Champions foundation course into one session. Join and get the skills and knowledge over 3,000 other professionals have already learnt through the Green Champions training course.

Grab your space at this training webinar and you will:

  • Learn valuable new skills and acquire knowledge in areas such as staff engagement, energy efficiency and recycling.
  • Enhance your CV with CPD-certified training.
  • Get free access to time-saving tools, templates and tried-and-tested-techniques.

Join the training and you will be able to help your business:

  • Reduce its energy, water and raw material use and play its part in tackling climate change.
  • Increase its profits and create a competitive advantage.
  • Get access to free consultancy and financial support to improve business efficiency.
  • Demonstrate its commitment to the environment and win new customers.

Find out more and book your free place at Zero Waste Scotland.

Want to become more energy efficient, reduce your bills and cut your carbon emissions? Zero Waste Scotland have helped hundreds of businesses to do just that – and have handpicked a selection who want to share their stories with you.

Join this webinar to be inspired by guest speakers from a range of sectors and learn how your business could save energy and money while reducing its environmental impact.

Who should attend?

This webinar is for anyone in your organisation who is interested in or who has responsibility for operational cost, environmental performance, energy efficiency and staff wellbeing.

Particularly ideal for:

  • general managers;
  • healthy, safety and environmental managers;
  • environmental performance champions; and
  • facilities managers.

Find out more and book your free place at Zero Waste Scotland.

If you are looking for ways for your business to reduce its environmental impact and play its part in tackling the climate emergency, you may be considering switching to a green energy tariff.

But just how green is green? And how do you decide which supplier and deal is best for you?

This webinar from Zero Waste Scotland will give you a better understanding of green energy tariffs so you can make sure you can get the best deal for your business – and the planet.

You will learn:

  • How to understand your energy bill.
  • What a green tariff is and the difference between green and brown tariffs.
  • The benefits of your business being on a green tariff.
  • How to switch energy tariffs.

Find out more and book your free place at Zero Waste Scotland.

You can do a lot to reduce your organisation’s energy costs by changing equipment and processes.  However, to bring about and maximise improvements for lasting benefit, it’s vital to get your colleagues on board with your energy efficiency initiatives.

In this webinar, Zero Waste Scotland will share a suite of professional communications tools that you can start using in your business straight away. They’ll then hand the floor over to fantastic guest speakers who will share their experience of motivating their colleagues to adopt new behaviours.

This is a great opportunity for you to pick up some winning, tried-and-tested ideas for your business – and that should make your life easier.

You will learn:

  • How other businesses have successfully motivated their staff to save energy, water and reduce waste.
  • How to plan your staff engagement activity.
  • How to use rewards to motivate your colleagues and teams.
  • The importance of a green team and how to set one up.
  • How to access free campaign posters, green team support and staff training resources.

Find out more and book your free place at Zero Waste Scotland.

It’s becoming more and more important that you let your customers know what you are doing to be environmentally friendly.

It can also help you to attract the best employees. According to Debut, the graduate recruitment app, 89% of female and 80% of male students want to work for a business that can demonstrate its environmental credentials.

The question is, how do you do that? Join this free webinar session from Zero Waste Scotland to find out how your business can showcase its green credentials and enjoy the benefits.

You will learn:

  • How the latest research shows just how important it is to demonstrate that your business is taking action to tackle the climate emergency.
  • How employees are now raising their expectations too.
  • Free ways to share your ‘green’ story with customers and employees.
  • How to write and share an environmental policy with our free templates.

Find out more and book your free place at Zero Waste Scotland.

Working out your company’s carbon footprint allows you to identify money and energy-saving opportunities, create a competitive edge and futureproof your business.

To begin learning how to calculate your business’s carbon footprint or if you’re in need of a refresher, join this free webinar session from Zero Waste Scotland.

You will learn:

  • Why it’s important you calculate your business’s carbon footprint.
  • What you need to count in your business’s carbon footprint calculations.
  • How to work out your business’s carbon footprint.
  • How you can reduce your business’s carbon footprint.

Who should attend?

This webinar is for anyone in your organisation who is interested in or who has responsibility for operational cost, environmental performance, energy efficiency and staff wellbeing.

Particularly ideal for:

  • general managers;
  • healthy, safety and environmental managers;
  • environmental performance champions; and
  • facilities managers.

Find out more and book your free place at Zero Waste Scotland.

The Supplier Development Programme will hold the 4th Annual Meet the Buyer North virtually, as a fully online event on Tuesday, 7 September 2021 with headline partners, the Scottish Government and Scottish Procurement Alliance.

Meet the Buyer North 2021 will see online exhibitors from the public sector, private contractors and business support providers.

This free event affords suppliers that wish to do business in the North of Scotland, including the Highlands and Islands, unprecedented access to buyers and decision makers from across the public and private sectors, with the opportunity to raise your profile as a business and prepare for upcoming contract opportunities, all from the comfort of your own screen. Businesses will be able to meet procurement teams from local councils, alongside other public and private sector buying organisations, with additional exhibitors still being confirmed.

Exciting Speakers and Presentations

On behalf of the Supplier Development Programme Board, Diane Beattie, Moray Council Payments Manager and Fiona Conti, Strategic Procurement Manager at Aberdeenshire, City and Highland Council Shared Procurement Service, will deliver a joint presentation to welcome attendees.

Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism & Enterprise is confirmed to deliver an opening address, subject to Parliamentary business.

The Scottish Procurement Alliance will also deliver a presentation which will be of particular interest to micro and small businesses based in Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council), Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council, as well as other businesses in the North of Scotland.

Click on the Power of Procurement Stage and the Let’s Do Net Zero Stage to access a packed agenda with speakers throughout the day on hot topics in the North of Scotland such as Growth Deals, Community Wealth Building strategies, the Climate Change emergency in public sector procurement, Fair Work First, how to bring innovation to the public sector, the implications of Brexit, and importantly, COVID-19 economic recovery plans with links to sustainable, open and transparent procurement. Speakers and other staff will be available to answer questions in live Q&A sessions, and you will also hear about top tips for tendering from the Supplier Development Programme.

This is the second year in a row that this event will be held as a virtual event – and 90% of Scottish SMEs and supported businesses were more likely to bid for public sector contracts after attending last year’s virtual event.

Non-SME suppliers are also eligible to attend and must register an account with SDP to book a place.

To book a space to attend the event, use this link.

Join the conversation: #meetthebuyernorth2021

Recruiting new team members is perhaps the most important and difficult job when running an organisation.

Are there ways to do it better and to be as accessible and transparent as possible to attract and secure the best candidates? Is an “I’ll know them when I see them” approach the best way to recruit?

At this webinar from Social Enterprise Scotland, attendees will be joined by Jonathan Black, Director of the Oxford University Careers Service and co-founder of Skylark Works, who will present his warm, open and fair approach to candidate selection.

He’ll also share recent survey results of what students are seeking in a career and how employers can use this information to attract them. There’ll be time for questions and to share your experiences.

Find out more and book your free place at Social Enterprise Scotland now.

As well as environmental issues this webinar from the Supplier Development Programme also covers social issues such as equality and diversity and fair & ethical trading, plus economic issues including opportunities for SMEs and the third sector.

Key topics:

  • What is sustainable procurement?
  • Procurement for supported businesses and the third sector
  • Community benefits
  • Living wage
  • Being a “Best practice employer”
  • Life cycle costing
  • Delivering “Added Value”
  • Corporate social responsibility

For full event details and to book your place, visit the Supplier Development Programme website today.