News 2008
01/09/2008
Insurance Age, 1st September 2008 - Insurers up their green credentials
Aon and Aviva have become the first companies in the insurance sector to join an environmental scheme aimed to help major London organisations tackle climate change.
Following the sale of its general wholesale and reinsurance operations, Heath Lambert has simplified its UK retail and speciality structure and reporting lines. The retail - national division has been formed by combining the group's project risks group and UK-wide national operations. Retail major accounts, financial and professional have been formed from the major accounts, financial institutions and professional risks departments. Finally, the specialisms division will comprise the art, jewellery and private client team, the Italian medical malpractice team and the treaty solutions team.
Giles Insurance Brokers has completed its fifth Welsh acquisition with the purchase of AGM Insurance. Based in Taff Well, AGM Insurance was launched in 1984 and employs eight staff.
See the full article here
29/08/2008
Property Week.com, 29th August 2008 - Legal & General brings tenants on board for green push
Legal and General Property is engaging with several of its tenants to make one of its City of London buildings more sustainable.
L&G Property and the occupiers at 99 Gresham Street, which include Butterfield Bank, City Golf & Health Clubs, law firm Steptoe & Johnson and Tradeweb Europe, are working together to improve the sustainability of the building, which is owned by L&G Property’s Linked Life Property Fund.
The collaboration is supported by the London Climate Change Agency – part of the London Development Agency – through its Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) initiative, which aims to improve the sustainability of buildings through influencing the commercial property market, and its mentoring scheme, Green500, which works with London’s top 500 organisations and aims to reduce the capital’s carbon emissions.
The London Climate Change Agency’s two schemes are working side by side to help break down the barriers that may occur between owners of commercial and public property and their tenants when implementing carbon-saving measures in the capital’s existing building stock.
See the full article here
15/08/2008
Waste Management World, 15th August 2008 - Green500 project sees London waste management companies getting on board
A new initiative in London, which aims to sign up 500 of London's top businesses with the aim of overhauling their environmental practices, has attracted interest from waste management companies. With the larger aim of reducing London's CO2 emissions by 60% by 2025, Green500 will provide them with a holistic consultation advising them on energy, waste, water and sustainability.
Major waste management companies such as Cory Environmental, WRG, Powerday Recycling and Biffa have been the first in the sector to join Green500.
See the full article here
14/08/2008
Legal Week
A raft of law firms have signed up to an environmental scheme to cut their carbon footprint in the City.
Eversheds, Nabarro, Herbert Smith and Simmons & Simmons have all signed up to the Green500 scheme, a two-anda-half year initiative that aims to reduce carbon emissions.
Firms' attempt to reduce their carbon footprint have been on the rise of late, with Eversheds recently installing a sedum roof in its new offices on Wood Street. The roof absorbs CO2 and improves insulation.
Meanwhile, a number of other UK firms have been making moves to become carbon-neutral. Simmons & Simmons became the first firm to go carbon neutral across all its international offices in 2006, while SJ Berwin and Hill Dickinson have both been carbon-neutral in the UK for some time. Magic circle giant Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer recently introduced a carbon offsetting scheme.
See the full article here
14/08/2008
Trainee Solicitor online, 14th August 2008 - City firms aim to cut CO2 in new green scheme
A raft of law firms have signed up to an environmental scheme to cut their carbon footprint in the City.
Eversheds, Nabarro, Herbert Smith and Simmons & Simmons have all signed up to the Green500 scheme, a two-and-a-half year initiative that aims to reduce carbon emissions.
Firms’ attempt to reduce their carbon footprint have been on the rise of late, with Eversheds recently installing a sedum roof in its new offices on Wood Street. The roof absorbs CO2 and improves insulation.
Meanwhile, a number of other UK firms have been making moves to become carbon-neutral. Simmons & Simmons became the first firm to go carbon neutral across all its international offices in 2006, while SJ Berwin and Hill Dickinson have both been carbon-neutral in the UK for some time. Magic circle giant Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer recently introduced a carbon offsetting scheme.
See the full article here
08/2008
Rail Professional - Train companies take green steps
A new service is aiming to help London become a world leader in carbon management and sustainability – and the rail industry is taking the lead in signing up.
Green500 hopes to achieve a CO2 saving of 1.5 million tonnes during the initial 30-month programme, spearheading the Mayor of London’s climate change action plan. A number of train operators have signed up to scheme, including First Capital Connect, Eurostar, First Great Western and Transport for London.
Any London business can sign up to the scheme, though it’s limited to 500 organisations. It costs £3,500 to become a member, with an annual accreditation fee of £500. For this, members will be able to draw upon the skills and expertise of the Green500 team, including a carbon opportunities assessment, whereby data is gathered by carbon mentors and carbon assessors, and validated through a site visit.
Members will be recognised for their carbon-cutting efforts and achievements though an annual awards ceremony hosted by the Mayor of London, with a series of badges awarded to companies as they develop their carbon-cutting performance.
First Capital Connect joined the scheme over a month ago and is keen to see how the being a member can help.
See the full article here
24/07/2008
Insurance Times - Industry urged to tackle CO2 emissions
The industry’s largest brokers and insurers have been urged to join a scheme to cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change at their London offices.
Aon and Aviva, owner of Norwich Union, are the first two insurance companies in the industry to join Green500, a scheme which aims to turn London into a world leader in sustainability.
The two-and-a-half year scheme aims to save up to 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 and leads the Mayor of London’s overall climate change action plan targets to reduce CO2 emissions in public and private sector organisations by 60% by 2025.
Both companies are now working with a carbon mentor in an effort to identify areas where they can be more efficient.
A spokesman for Aon said the company was still discussing the early stages of its action plan with its carbon mentor.
See the full article here
04/07/2008
Finchannel - Crowne Plaza and Pret A Manger sign up to green scheme
According to caterersearch, Crowne Plaza and Pret A Manger have become the first hospitality operators to sign up to the London Development Agency’s Green500 scheme.
Under the Green500 initiative, which is backed by London Mayor Boris Johnson, 500 of the largest businesses in the capital are being encouraged to cut their carbon output by 1.5 million tonnes a year by 2011 – equivalent to saving of around £1.5m in energy bills.
Green500 provides advice on matters such as reducing carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency, water usage, waste management and transport plans.
Members can work with a specially designated carbon mentor and expert, who will help develop a tailored emissions reduction plan.
Crowne Plaza – The City, part of InterContinental Hotels Group, has already put a number of sustainable practices in places, including a green private car hire service, an in-house tidy team award and water saving devices in all bedrooms.
Other companies to have signed up include Chelsea Football Club, EDF Energy, Marks & Spencer, The John Lewis Partnership, Eversheds, T-Mobile, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, Ernst & Young and Kings College London.
See the full article here
04/07/2008
Caterersearch - Crowne Plaza and Pret A Manger sign up to green scheme
Crowne Plaza and Pret A Manger have become the first hospitality operators to sign up to the London Development Agency’s Green500 scheme.
Under the Green500 initiative, which is backed by London Mayor Boris Johnson, 500 of the largest businesses in the capital are being encouraged to cut their carbon output by 1.5 million tonnes a year by 2011 – equivalent to saving of around £1.5m in energy bills.
See the full article here
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