A BUSINESS group aimed toward sharing good follow on ‘net zero’ has appointed a former Cabinet Office lead on sustainability as its first chair.
Rob Macdiarmid, Head of ESG for Redde Northgate, has agreed to guide the Darlington Employers’ Environmental Partnership (DEEP).
The group was initiated earlier this 12 months by Darlington Building Society and the Society’s Chief Risk Officer, David Bews (pictured under), will likely be vice-chair.
The positions have been agreed on the first assembly of the steering group since Darlington Cares – a not-for-profit organisation hosted by Darlington Borough Council – took over as administrative assist physique.
The native initiative was formalised on the day of the COP28 local weather summit in Dubai, attended by greater than 160 world leaders, referred to as for unified motion in any respect ranges to scale back carbon emissions.
Mr Macdiarmid was appointed as Head of Property Sustainability on the Government’s Cabinet Office in 2019 earlier than turning into Director of Sustainability at Countryside Partnerships, then becoming a member of Redde Northgate final February.
The car rental and incident administration firm which employs 7,400 internationally, has its head workplace in Darlington, and is investing in electrical autos whereas growing low carbon experience.
Mr Macdiarmid mentioned: “I’m honoured to chair a group that gives us the chance to showcase all the positive things that are happening on net zero in different sectors.
“It’s an exciting platform to share good practice and gives us a solid foundation to explore ways to increase the social impact of reducing carbon emissions.
“A key challenge is supporting smaller businesses that can’t afford specialist roles, and this is an opportunity for them to tap into expertise and a body of knowledge to help them progress their plans faster.”
The group has dedicated to carry common “learning and networking” conferences at native websites. An preliminary assembly was held at engine producer Cummins, with the second hosted by architects Corstorphine and Wright at Teesside International Airport. At least three site-visits a 12 months will likely be organized in future.
Other native corporations and organisations concerned to this point are: EE, North Star Housing, BHP Law, Newlands Group, County Durham Community Foundation, Darlington Borough Council, Teesside University, Serco, and JBA Engineering.
Steering committee members have agreed to share particulars of pledges they’ve made in direction of internet zero targets as a place to begin for future discussions.
David Bews mentioned: “It’s great to see such an important initiative get off the ground, with a clear purpose, and I’m delighted to be vice chair. DEEP brings together representatives from a host of regional organisations, with different stakeholders and business models, but with a common goal. That creates a fantastic opportunity to make faster progress.”
Councillor Chris McEwan, the council’s financial portfolio holder, mentioned: “This is an initiative that’s grown out of the business community, following an initial idea by Darlington Building Society, and has quickly blossomed into a credible platform that recognises that the scale of the challenge requires a team effort.”
Seth Pearson, Director of Darlington Cares, added: “Darlington Cares is in its 11th year, and now has 30 employers as members. It’s the perfect vehicle for businesses to support each other on their journey towards net zero.”
