HDC granted £30,000 by Carbon Trust

The Horticultural Development Council is one of 16 organisations named today by the Carbon Trust that have been awarded grants of up to £140,000 as part of an initiative which encourages UK businesses and organisations to cut its CO2 emissions.

Through working with trade and professional bodies, unions and other industry organisations, the Carbon Trust’s Networks Initiative engages with business to reduce CO2 emissions and help tackle climate change.

Applicants to the Networks Initiative each produced a detailed plan showing how their project would deliver demonstrable carbon emissions savings through engagement with their industry members.

The HDC’s application, for funding for a farming and agricultural best practice campaign, was successful in raising £30,000.

Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust said, “Our work with trade and professional bodies is an important part of our overall role in helping UK business and public sector organisations cut CO2 emissions.”

“Trade bodies are valuable partners for the Carbon Trust and our work together over the past two years has contributed to savings of some 200,000 tonnes of CO2. Today’s funding announcement builds on the £1.4 million awarded over the last two years and brings the total number of industry organisations that have benefited from Carbon Trust’s Networks funding to 41.

“The Carbon Trust offers consultation and strategic support to all professional bodies around the UK, regardless of whether they have received funding, and we look forward to continuing our support for individual industries as they strive to cut emissions.”

The next round of applications for the Networks Initiative will open in autumn 2007. Interested organisations should visit www.carbontrust.co.uk/carbon/networks or email network@carbontrust.co.uk to find out more details about how the initiative works.