A village-based business has secured £300,000 to completely replace its existing heating system – which should reduce its carbon emissions in Ruddington by around 150 tonnes a year. Artex Limited will use the funds to install a much greener ‘biomass’ heating system at its Pasture Lane site.
Parent company Saint-Gobain has awarded the money as part of its ‘INVEST Carbon’ fund – to support the decarbonisation of its businesses on a journey to net zero carbon by 2050. The INVEST Carbon fund is one of two carbon funds available to businesses and employees to suggest ways in which carbon can be reduced from its activities.
In addition to these investments, employees at its other companies in the UK and Ireland have been submitting their ideas to reduce non-industrial CO2 emissions; from small actions to larger projects. These proposals were shortlisted by its ‘Net Zero Carbon Colleague Assembly’ and submitted to the Carbon Fund – where a committee chose the most ‘impactful’ winning projects, including the one here in Ruddington.
Mike Chaldecott, Chief Executive of Saint-Gobain in the UK and Ireland, says: “Our organisation remains committed to reducing its carbon emissions and making the world a better home. Our carbon funds encourage our employees to come up with innovative ideas for change from small every-day actions to high-impact investments. As they deliver their projects later this year our colleagues will be making tangible differences to their work environments and climate change. The funds will grow in size over the years ahead – for every tonne of carbon saved by the business an extra €50 will be added to the size of the fund”.
The company’s continuing eco-commitment will come as welcome news to many villagers – who learned last month that Nottinghamshire County Council had approved controversial plans for a £330m waste incinerator on the site of the soon-to-be decommissioned Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station, which is upwind of Ruddington. By contrast, Saint-Gobain says it is finalising its zero-carbon roadmap which will set out a path for each of its businesses to meet medium term Science Based Targets for 2030 and the ultimate goal of net zero carbon by 2050.
Almost five years’ ago, RUDDINGTON.info reported how Artex Ltd had stepped in to contribute to the £5,000 needed to allow an area about the size of a football pitch at Rushcliffe Country Park to be fenced off, for woodland to be created there for future generations.
