The Envirowise Indicator allows all of the region’s businesses, irrespective of their size or industry sector, to gain a useful indication of their company’s environmental impact – and the potential financial savings that can be made by reducing it.
By entering basic data on raw material and utility use, companies are given a visual illustration of the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions generated by these activities. Firms can therefore see which aspects of their business have the biggest CO2 impact – and plan in appropriate actions to address this as a result.

A separate screen gives an at-a-glance view of which resources represent the largest cost to the business. And at any time, firms can make easy amendments to the data they have entered online to see the resulting financial and environmental impacts.

Elin Crebbin, Envirowise regional manager for Yorkshire and Humber, said: “Each company in the region will know that they use a range of different resources on a day-to-day basis, but what they may not be so aware of is the extent to which each of these resources – be it gas used in heating or packaging cardboard – has a clear environmental impact.

“Envirowise aims to put the sustainable use of resources at the heart of UK business. There are several eco indicator and calculator tools out there but ours analyses the full picture by considering resource inputs and resulting waste volumes. By using the tool, local businesses are not only able to better understand their own environmental impact and the potential savings they can make, but also help develop the tool for others to benefit from.”

Companies can access the Indicator free of charge by visiting www.envirowise.gov.uk/Indicator, where a videocast is available to help guide users through using the tool. Guidance on all aspects of resource efficiency can be obtained by calling the Envirowise adviceline on 0800 585 794.