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The Carbon Trust is offering West Lothian businesses free help in low-carbon, energy-saving practices that should result in a cleaner, greener performance for companies both big and small.

Running from January to March 2010, the Carbon Trust is funding work delivered by the Business Environment Partnership to coach West Lothian companies on the positive business benefits to be gained by cutting your energy bills.

The low-carbon objective is an issue facing organisations worldwide, as the battle to stem climate change takes an ever more prominent role within business practice.

But many firms struggle to take on what can be a complex challenge ? not least when they traditionally rely on significant amounts of energy to power well-established production processes.

In association with Business Gateway West Lothian, this special three-month programme of workshops is on offer, free of charge to a limited number of West Lothian companies in the industrial and manufacturing sectors.

A launch event will be held in the last week of January, covering details of the workshops and how the project will be delivered. In addition, information on how to access the following free services will be provided:

Site energy saving technical surveys
Telephone advice from technical experts
Interest free loans for energy saving measures
On line tools and guidance
Guidance on other agencies that provide support to businesses, including the Energy Savings Trust and the Envirowise programme.
Set up in 1998, the Business Environment Partnership has a Scotland-wide remit to help businesses save money, run more efficiently and gain competitive advantage through the improved use of resources. Similarly, the Carbon Trust was established by the Government in 2001 to act independently in accelerating the move to a low-carbon economy.

But increasingly, going green is becoming a necessity rather than an option. Legislative and financial pressure to reduce energy consumption is likely to increase for businesses, following the Scottish Government?s recent introduction of the carbon reduction Commitment, as well as the Climate Change Bill, which demands that CO2 emissions should be reduced by 80% in 2050.

The good news for the business sector is that studies repeatedly show how a 20% cut in your energy costs can equate to a 5% increase in sales. Such bottom line benefits are particularly timely for companies trying to maintain a healthy performance during the economic downturn.

If you are interested in participating in this free workshop programme, please contact Claire Parrott at the Business Environment Partnership. Call 0845 129 4830 or 07971 617006. Email: Claire@thebep.org.uk