As you may or may not know, I have an avid interest within my sector and as a local business owner within Bournemouth. I’ve sat on various BID Boards as well as Regeneration & Tourism groups over the years. I’ve also kept a keen eye on the goings on in the Local authority. Investment in Bournemouth and the community where we live is important to me – Why focus your energy on making somewhere better if it isn’t the place that you spend 98% of your time?
The recent announcement from BCP council declaring a Climate Emergency, pledging to make
BCP Council and it’s operations Carbon Neutral by 2030 has sparked a thought or two…
A bold statement to have been made by our LA and one which I wholly support. But, how do we take this environmentally heroic Tweet without so much as an eye-roll as we consider the day-to-day struggle of businesses operating in the Area to make a profit, let alone then consider how we find the cash to transform these into all singing all dancing solar powered, carbon neutral, futuristically energy efficient establishments?
There are certainly some pioneers of sustainability and environmentalism in the hospitality industry in our area and at Zim we are certainly striving to do everything that we can and are very proud to be able to call ourselves Carbon Neutral. But the truth is that it’s far from enough…
In order for BCP to achieve the goals being slung into the ether, we, the BCP businesses, as “the operators” to which they refer, need a leg up on this one. Grants will need to be made accessible, interest free loans & strategic groups will need to be set up with BIDs and local businessmen will need to be engaged at a high level.
I’m wholeheartedly in support of the principles – but actions will be needed straight away to ensure that BCP’s declaration is not just hollow words.
Tel. 01202 068010
99 Commercial Rd, Poole, BH14 0JD
www.zim-braai.co.uk
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