Company pledge at COP 26 leads to awareness and reduction

Willow Direct specialises in the import and wholesale of the finest basket ware. 

Why did they engage with DE-Carbonise

Willow Direct signed up to the SME Climate Pledge, part of the UK Government’s commitment for COP26 in Glasgow. The pledge includes the commitment to measure and then reduce the company’s carbon footprint and the company invited the DE-Carbonise team (both the Council and University of Derby) to assist in this process.

The company had recently moved premises and wanted advice on how to reduce the carbon footprint of the building and its wider activities, beyond the steps that had already been taken to generate electricity on site and upgrading of all the lighting to LED.  

The company also needed advice to begin to gather and analyse the data needed to calculate its carbon footprint for the first time. 

What has been the impact of working with DE-Carbonise?

A visit from the City Council team highlighted areas of good practice as well as opportunities for improvement. For example:

The company had already changed its waste contractor, choosing a local company that offers higher recycling rates. Lighting sensors have been installed on a trial basis, with more sensors planned if that is successful.  

A spreadsheet developed by the DE-Carbonise team is being used to calculate a baseline carbon footprint and to track improvements. 

Next Steps

The company now has an action plan to work through and is planning to link up with other local businesses who share similar aims.  

One action is to install monitoring equipment to track electricity usage from day to day and week to week, to identify wastage. 

The collaboration with Willow Direct is currently ongoing.  

The DE-Carbonise Team at the University of Derby is currently reviewing packaging materials used by the company in terms of carbon and recyclability.

About DE-Carbonise

DE-Carbonise is a three year collaboration between the University of Derby, Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council, which started in November 2019. The collaboration is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and follows on from the successful D2 Energy Efficiency/Low Carbon project.

Logo's for European Union Regional Development Fun, Derby City Council, Derbyshire County Council and Midlands Engine.

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To find out about current support available for your business in reducing your environmental impact, or your journey to net-zero. Please get in contact with our business gateway team.

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