Chamber News

In response to the findings from a recent Chambers Net Zero survey, the British Chambers of Commerce and O2 have launched a free online hub to help businesses find out how to measure their carbon footprint, set targets and develop an overall net zero strategy. The new hub provides a one-stop-shop for businesses to find out everything they need to know about Net Zero. It is packed with information on how to apply for grants, where to seek specialist advice and practical tips from firms that have already taken action.

The launch of the Hub comes after research published by the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with O2 has found that only one in ten (11%) responding businesses, of more than 1,000 surveyed in the UK, are measuring their carbon footprint.

This falls to 9% for small businesses, and 5% for microbusinesses, with fewer than 10 employees. By contrast 26% of larger firms, with more than 50 employees, are measuring their footprint.

The research follows the Chambers Net Zero survey carried out in July. A total of 1,072 firms responded, with 94% being small and medium sized enterprises. 29% were manufacturers, 32% B2C and 38% B2B. A total of 46% reported they exported and 47% of firms were established more than 20 years ago. 

The research also showed only one in seven (13%) have set targets to reduce their emissions – down from one in five (21%) when firms were surveyed before the pandemic in February 2020.

In addition, almost two thirds (64%) of businesses surveyed say they don’t see net zero targets as a high priority in the wake of the pandemic, although half (49%) admit their customers are worried about the environment. 

The findings also show that one in five businesses (22%) don’t fully understand the term ‘net zero,’ and almost a third have yet to seek advice or information to help them develop a net zero roadmap or improve their environmental sustainability. 

With the impacts of the pandemic and other priorities weighing heavily on small and medium sized businesses, the research found that smaller firms were far more likely to be behind on climate action. When it came to setting carbon reduction targets, 27% of larger firms have done so, compared to just 9% of microbusinesses.

Barriers and required support

The main barriers preventing respondents from making their business more sustainable are high upfront adaptation costs (34%) and a lack of finance (30%).

Getting access to grants (28%), tax allowances (14%) and reducing the costs of making adaptations (14%) were cited as the three steps businesses would most like to see to help them reduce their carbon consumption within the next six months. 

While 13% said they would like access to impartial, bespoke advice with an action plan – and almost a third said they look online for advice on net zero and environmental sustainability.

Taking action on emissions

Despite a lack of awareness on carbon footprints, many firms are still taking a wide variety of positive actions to reduce their emissions and become greener.

Over the next 12 months, 54% of businesses surveyed are planning to reduce their consumption (e.g. of paper, food and plastics), 47% are planning to reduce the energy they use through travel, and 40% are planning to reduce the energy used at their offices and premises. Of those looking to take action, eight in ten (79%) cite concern about the environment as the motivating factor, followed by efficiency gains or cost savings (cited by 59%).

The Net Zero hub forms part of the BCC’s Climate Challenge hub and features exclusive content from O2. It has been designed to operate as a one-stop-shop for businesses to find out everything they need to know about Net Zero. Alongside tools to help firms calculate their carbon footprint and work out the savings they can make from going green, it has a wide range of handy guides, and insights from businesses which are successfully making the transition. It also provides links to upcoming events and webinars which allow firms to keep up to date with the latest developments on reducing emissions. 

Jo Bertram, Managing Director, Business & Wholesale at Virgin Media O2 said: “In May, the Government called on small businesses to lead the charge and pledge to reach net zero by 2050 or sooner, but our research shows that to do this, they need more support. From microbusinesses to larger firms, SMBs have told us they’re concerned about the environment, but in the wake of lockdowns and growing economic pressures, the majority are understandably facing barriers to improving their sustainability.

“That’s why today we’ve launched the Net Zero Hub, to provide businesses of all sizes with the free online resources they need to accelerate their net zero journey. Whether they have just started or are well underway, the hub offers practical guides, real-life insights and useful tools to help small businesses reap the benefits of reaching net zero. Small businesses make up 99% of the UK’s business landscape, and we’re committed to helping them cut their collective carbon footprint and play their part in building a cleaner, greener future for the UK.”

Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the BCC, said: “This research is a real eye-opener and shows just how big a challenge the UK’s net zero target is. The dual impacts of the pandemic and Brexit have been a huge body-blow to many businesses, so it’s unsurprising that targeting emissions has taken a back seat.

“But change has to come, and our Net Zero Hub makes clear that the earlier firms adapt then the greater the advantages will be – they cannot afford to get left behind.

“The climate challenge is one that affects every single one of us and business has a big part to play in tackling it. But the Government must also recognise that smaller firms will need access to grants, subsidies and other financial support to help them take effective steps on the journey to a greener future.”

In 2020, O2 became the only mobile network operator in the UK to commit to net zero by 2025, whilst working with supply chain partners to reduce emissions by 30% in the next five years. O2 Business is working with organisations of all sizes to help build a lower carbon economy through better connectivity – from smart meters and smarter working through to connected cars and air pollution monitoring. In 2020, O2 Business helped customers save 1.4m tonnes of carbon through B2B products and services (including flexible working, IOT solutions and Cloud-based services).*

To find out more about how the new Net Zero Hub from the BCC and O2 is supporting small and medium businesses on their net zero journey please click here.

*Includes: fleet management, telecommuting fixed line, telecommuting B2B mobile, video-audio conferencing, domestic smart meters, avoided vehicle journeys, and general IOT. Correct as of 31 December 2020

Hard to reach premises in Norfolk are to receive between £115m and £195m of funding as part of the Government’s Project Gigabit to provide 1GB per second broadband to up to 119,000 premises. Contracts will be awarded from February 2022.

Rural homes and businesses across Norfolk and Suffolk will get next-generation gigabit broadband brought to them under a £5 billion plan to level up internet access across the UK.

Cllr Tom FitzPatrick, Norfolk Cabinet Member for Innovation, Transformations & Performance said:

“Norfolk County Council is committed to making Norfolk the best-connected rural county in the country and we are striving for 100% availability of fast broadband to all Norfolk properties.  We welcome this latest announcement from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport about further significant investment in Norfolk’s digital infrastructure, and the huge benefits that this will bring. We are delighted with the high priority that Norfolk has been given.  Project Gigabit will help our residents to fully benefit from digital opportunities, help our businesses grow and improve their profitability, and so significantly benefit our rural economy.”

New details published today from Project Gigabit reveal that up to 210,000 rural homes and businesses in the region and surrounding areas are in line to be connected with lightning-fast speeds.

This is in addition to the roll-out of broadband by commercial providers, which is seeing gigabit broadband being deployed rapidly across the country – from one in ten households in the UK in 2019 to more than two in five today. The country is also on track for one of the fastest roll-outs in Europe and for 60 per cent of all households to have access to gigabit speeds by the end of this year.

The Project Gigabit programme targets properties that would otherwise have been left behind in broadband companies’ roll-out plans, prioritising those that currently have the slowest connections.

Their available speeds will rocket to more than 1,000 megabits or one gigabit per second – enough to download a High Definition movie in less than 30 seconds and to lay the foundations for tomorrow’s tech, such as 8K-quality video streaming.

It means families no longer having to battle over bandwidth and will give people in rural areas the freedom to live and work more flexibly, with the speed and reliability needed to start and run businesses.

Project Gigabit has announced that more investment is planned for the East of England, and more details to be shared in due course.

What does your business need to know when it comes to new technology? How can innovations in tech help with your business growth? What tech is currently available to you and how can you implement this into your business right now? What digital innovations are in the pipeline that you should be aware of?

Join us for the annual Norfolk Chambers of Commerce Talking Tech event, sponsored by Breakwater IT, where you will find answers to all the above and much more.

This year’s theme for Talking Tech is all about how you can grow and future proof your business. There will be speakers and panel discussions on how innovative thinking can lead to customer satisfaction and happy employees, and can help you cut costs, improve your top line and grow your business.

You don’t have to be in the technology sector to benefit from this event, in fact there are talks and discussions that are about how technology can help grow and future proof marketing, HR, sales and growth, finance and IT.

Talking Tech is more than just another tech conference, it’s an interactive event where you can get the knowhow you need. With headline speakers, interactive co.nversations, live Q&As and the chance to network; this is your chance to get your tech questions answered and get takeaways to help you employ these into your business straightaway.

Talking Tech – Innovative thinking for your business. Sponsored by Breakwater IT, takes place on Thursday 16 September, 2021*, 9am-2pm, at The Space, Norwich. For more information click here.

*We are doing everything we can to bring you this event in September by following government COVID guidelines. However, due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic, we may have to postpone this event at short notice if circumstances arise that are out of our control. 

The BCC calls for government to extend skills training as new research showed nearly 1 in 5 companies are considering staff redundancies as the next phase of furlough tapering begins.

With older workers much more likely to still be on furlough, there is concern that they could go unutilised unless support for retraining is immediately put in place.

The survey, carried out by BCC, asked over 250 businesses with employees still on furlough what their response might be to employers’ contributions to the scheme rising to 20% from August 1; nearly 1 in 5 (18%) said they would make staff redundant.

See graph (right) for full results:

The BCC survey comes after HMRC data released earlier this week showed older workers were far more likely to remain furloughed than younger ones, raising concerns about what plans are in place to re-skill those who are left without jobs as the scheme winds down – with skills shortages continuing to bite across the UK labour market.

Jane Gratton, Head of People Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Today’s changes to the furlough scheme will likely result in many thousands of people being released back into the labour market, as employers who are still struggling to recover from the recession are forced to make redundancies and cuts to working hours. 

“With widespread skills shortages across the economy, some will find new jobs where their skills are in demand, while others will need to retrain for opportunities in a different sector.  

“Whether furloughed workers are returning to the workplace or the wider labour market, it is crucial that employers and the government give them the support and training they need to be re-engaged and productive. Alongside rapid retraining opportunities, government should extend the Kickstart scheme into 2022, and expand it to enable older workers to gain new skills and experience.”

Norfolk Chambers of Commerce is proud to announce that Layrd Design Ltd will be the sponsors of the Outdoor hub at B2B this October.

Norfolk’s leading business to business showcase returns on Thursday 14 October 2021 at Norfolk Showground* and Norfolk Chambers are delighted to confirm that commercial interior design specialists Layrd Design Ltd will be the official Co.mmunity sponsors at the show.

The B2B Exhibition is Norfolk’s largest business-to-business exhibition. Free to attend and attracting hundreds of businesses on the day, B2B is a highlight on the Norfolk events calendar. 

As the Co.mmunity sponsor, Layrd will give exhibitors and visitors space in the exhibition to Eat, Drink and Chill, with thoughtfully designed areas for networking, meetings and wellbeing breaks.

William Mayes, Director at Layrd said: “We had visited the event in the past and were very impressed by the scale and calibre of businesses involved. When the opportunity became available to sponsor this year’s event, we were very keen to be involved. We are looking forward to showcasing our services and offer to the Norfolk companies both exhibiting and visiting this year’s event. 

“We are installing some bold and bespoke features throughout the Eat, Drink, Chill area to create a more intimate and unique area for the guests to enjoy. We will also have a bold entrance space set up to welcome the guests as they arrive. The details of these areas will be saved for the guests to enjoy on the day!”

For exhibitors, the event gives the opportunity to meet new potential clients, catch up with existing contacts and have a presence at this prestigious event, as well as joining us for the B2B after party (ticketed event).

For visitors, the exhibition is the opportunity to meet a plethora of businesses, take part in speed networking sessions throughout the day, go to a free workshop or seminar and relax in the Proudly Norfolk food hub.

If you are interested in becoming an exhibitor at B2B you can find out how to book your stand HERE

Free tickets are now available to order. Book in advance and you will get fast-tracked entry into the exhibition. FIND OUT MORE

*We are doing everything we can to bring you this event in October by following government COVID guidelines. However, due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic we may have to postpone this event at short notice if circumstances arise that are out of our control.

 Responding to the news that fully vaccinated travellers from the EU and US will not have to quarantine, British Chambers of Commerce Co-Executive Director, Claire Walker, said:   

   “For the hundreds of thousands of people directly employed in the travel industry and the many more that are part of supply chains, this will be welcome news. 

 “The long-term recovery of our entire economy also depends on reopening the UK to the two-way flows of people and trade. 

 “The government must continue to work with businesses, the aviation industry and international partners to ensure resources and guidance are in place to deal with the influx of passengers who will need vaccination checks. 

 “It must also be crystal-clear in communicating the new arrangements to overseas travellers so they can have the utmost confidence in visiting the UK.  

  “Businesses will also want to see government do everything it can to continue drive down the cost of any tests required for travellers. These costs must not be allowed to become an impediment to the viability of businesses, or on UK firms chances of staking a place in growing markets.” 

 Responding to the news that fully vaccinated travellers from the EU and US will not have to quarantine, British Chambers of Commerce Co-Executive Director, Claire Walker, said:   

“For the hundreds of thousands of people directly employed in the travel industry and the many more that are part of supply chains, this will be welcome news. 

“The long-term recovery of our entire economy also depends on reopening the UK to the two-way flows of people and trade. 

“The government must continue to work with businesses, the aviation industry and international partners to ensure resources and guidance are in place to deal with the influx of passengers who will need vaccination checks. 

“It must also be crystal-clear in communicating the new arrangements to overseas travellers so they can have the utmost confidence in visiting the UK.  

“Businesses will also want to see government do everything it can to continue drive down the cost of any tests required for travellers. These costs must not be allowed to become an impediment to the viability of businesses, or on UK firms chances of staking a place in growing markets.” 

Responding to today’s ONS trade statistics, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:

“The pandemic and the shift to new trading conditions in how UK companies sell services to the EU have led to a clear reduction in UK-EU services trade compared with 2019. Today’s ONS data release shows services trade with the EU fell at a brisker rate than trade with the rest of the world over the two years to the end of March 2021. Services exports to the EU fell by 14.7% in that period and imports by 38.8%. 

“Today’s statistics indicate that the effects of the pandemic have masked the real long-term impact of the UK-EU TCA on trade in services, particularly in relation to business travel and supply of services. As economies reopen the effects of these issues will be slow burning, but nevertheless felt increasingly by companies operating both in the UK and Europe.    

“The UK government should seek to be ambitious in a common agenda with the EU on mutual recognition of professional qualifications, building more flexibility around the TCA for business travel, and liberalising reservations on services access to help kickstart our economic recovery from Covid-19.” 

Responding to the publication of Government plans on the future of Border controls, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said:

“The UK Government is intent on proceeding with the phase-in of inbound Great Britain border and customs controls for EU imports in October 2021 and January 2022 as planned.

“Business has been preparing hard to be ready for these timelines, with many making use of the BCC’s ChamberCustoms services.

“It is now vital we get confirmation that the infrastructure and processes for controls relating to food, animal and plant products (sanitary and phytosanitary [SPS]) will be in place at ports across Great Britain.

“These need to be fully functional and integrated to work alongside systems for customs declarations, and safety and security documentation.

“Businesses and their suppliers need confidence that delays and problems in importing goods from the EU will not occur after these deadlines.  

“HMRC data suggests inbound customs declarations on EU goods could cost businesses as much as £7.5bn per year from next January.

“For hard-pressed companies further support, through an extension to the SME Brexit Support Fund into next year, is needed to help them adjust financially for this new phase of the biggest change in trading terms with the rest of Europe for half a century.” 

Full details of the government’s plans for border controls can be found here: https://bit.ly/36NeQ5E

Responding to the announcement of the new UK approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said:  

“Businesses in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland need durable, workable, negotiated solutions on compliance with the Protocol to ensure the continued two-way flow of goods East-West and North-South. The UK and EU governments need to work together to find solutions which work for business. 

“A negotiated solution on customs, agri-food and e-commerce deliveries which deals with all of the red tape issues, is preferable to unilateral actions. An SPS agreement would deal with the most obtrusive border checks and controls, but customs and e-commerce issues also need to be dealt with by the autumn.  

“Since January there has been continued uncertainty for businesses as various easements have been applied, followed by approaching cliff edges and then extensions of the easements. Firms need durable and consistent arrangements which provide clarity about trading conditions in the medium to long-term. 

“Stronger engagement with business, particularly in Northern Ireland, must be central to the next stage of this process if viable solutions are to be found.” 

From 19 July, we will be moving to Step 4 of the government’s roadmap, meaning changes in regulations and more businesses re-opening. Covid remains, however, a significant risk to people’s health. The Government has published the guidance for businesses on how to work safely from Step 4 Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance from Step 4 – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Please read and follow this guidance, including anything specific to your sector. This briefing is intended to highlight the public health perspective on the continued management of Covid-19 in the workplace. Protecting employees as far as possible not only looks after their health and wellbeing, but also makes economic sense for your business by reducing the risk of enforced closures or managing staff absence.

There are many resources created by the Norfolk public health team available for your business: 

• You can download the Step 4 guidance for businesses below.
• You can download the ‘I Choose’ campaign below.
• You can download the full business tool kit here

Let’s stay safe and open up as cautiously as possible.

• Proportion of UK exporters reporting increased export sales (27%) rises from Q1, but proportion reporting decreased sales (28%) remains historically high
• Manufacturing exporters were more likely to see rising sales than exporting services firms
• B2C services exporters more likely to see sales fall, but neither B2C nor B2B seeing significant sales growth
• Respondents cited issues with UK-EU TCA as a major barrier to growing overseas sales 

The British Chambers of Commerce’s Trade Confidence Outlook for Q2, released today, has shown that exporters still face significant issues after a historically weak Q1. The survey of more than 2,800 UK exporters revealed that the percentage of firms reporting increased export sales had risen to 27%, a 7-point rise from the previous quarter. The percentage of businesses reporting decreased export sales fell to 28%, down from 41%, however this remains a historically high proportion. 45% reported no change in their export sales.

The percentage balance data shows that the proportion of firms reporting increased export sales has recovered slightly, after taking a downward turn in Q1. The balance of manufacturers reporting increased overseas sales was up to +8% from -9%, while the balance of services firms reporting increases rose to -7% from -26%. See the attached Graph.

Overall, 35% of manufacturing exporters surveyed reported increased overseas sales in Q2, with 27% reporting a decrease and 39% reporting no change. 

Consumer-facing exporters more likely to report decreased export sales

The breakdown of services between B2B and B2C exporters reveals that a considerably larger proportion of B2C exporters are seeing a fall in overseas sales – 38% of B2C exporters surveyed reported a decrease in export sales, in comparison to 21% of B2B firms. The proportion reporting increased sales though was similar between B2B and B2C, 23% and 22% respectively, for B2B this represents an 11-point fall from 34% reporting increased sales in Q1. While 55% of B2B firms reported sales staying constant in comparison to 40% of B2C businesses. It should be noted that these numbers come on the back of historically high proportions of both B2B and B2C firms reporting decreased sales in the previous quarter, 31% and 51% respectively. 

Across a number of metrics, including domestic sales, confidence and expectation of workforce growth exporters were more likely than non-exporters to report rises. This ties with historical data showing exporters as more likely to display confidence as they push into new markets or develop new products. Given that the recovery in overseas sales continues to lag domestic sales by a significant margin, it can be seen that despite being dynamic businesses exporters are still struggling to grow sales in the face of the issues currently affecting trade. 

Respondents cited issues arising from Brexit as the main cause of difficulties with export sales in the quarter. Many pointed to ongoing issues with the TCA, increased red tape or costs and losing EU based clients or customers to the perception that trade was now simply too difficult or complex. 

Responding to the findings, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, William Bain said:

 “Six months into the new trading relationship, more than a quarter of goods exporting firms are experiencing continued falls in sales to EU customers. This is a historically high number. 

 “Our exporters are among the best problem solvers and innovators in our economy, and yet our data demonstrates that they are still struggling mightily to resolve the issues that they currently face. 

  “As the UK and EU economies open up, we urge both sides to address the key pressures upon exporters – the red tape around import VAT and the new portals, paperwork and checks for agri-food exports, consistency of approach on customs rules and checks, looming deadlines on CE-marked goods, and the restrictions on labour mobility and service provision.  

  “It’s clear the TCA needs to be built upon and applied in ways which cut the current red tape costs and burdens on EU exports. We must solve these issues so that exports can become a driving force in our recover from the pandemic.” 

Responding to the findings, International Declaration Manager at the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, David Cowan said:

“We continue to support our Norfolk based clients with all of their Import and Export documentation needs. This past six months has certainly seen a change in the ways of working for companies, especially with regard to Customs Declarations being requried. As we move towards the most recent deadline of August 6th for import declarations being required for all imports since 1st January, clients are being advised of deadlines, and given clarity on their next steps. Here at Norfolk Chamber, we pride ourselves on being service led, and really helping both existing and new clients understand their responsibilites in this ever changing landscape.”

“We are determined to assist, as best we can, all Norfolk businesses with their International trade. With Norfolk’s vast number of international traders, we are actively ensuring that where help is needed, we are there. With such an amazing network, the Norfolk Chamber has the ability to direct clients towards the best solutions and resource. I urge Norfolk based businesses to get in touch. Whether you are a member of the Chamber or not, we are here for you, and can help you.”