Wirral Life March 2020 | Page 91

WIRRAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ENERGY & ECONOMIC FORUM Wirral Chamber of Commerce’s (WCC) Energy & Environmental forum took place on the 13th February at Quinnovations new Environmental Innovation Centre and had 50 people attend the event to listen to an introduction to Sustainable Central and the Tree Lines project. Ian Parkinson presented Sustainability Central as an ‘Early Step’ project set out in the Cool 2 – the Wirral Climate Change Action Plan (Cool Wirral Partnership 2020). The idea is for Sustainability Central to be a collaboration of local groups, businesses and investors, working with the Council to play a role in delivering the Wirral Climate Change Action Plan. The Tree Lines Project is looking for innovative ways of growing trees locally and moving away from importing large numbers of trees from overseas. The call was for employers to get involved via 1. Local Growers and Suppliers, 2. Away Days and Volunteering, 3. Tree Buddies and 4. Local Businesses Woodland Collective. They also discussed an overview of the Wirral Loop initiative with Jonathan Quinn (Director WCC & Chair Energy & Environment (WCC), Ben Lavell (WBC) and Bryan Lipscombe (WBC) highlighting the need to shift to a more sustainable model of The Linear Economy. Highlighting that finite resources and renewable resources and renewable energy in turn creates a circular economy. With the over all aim to support businesses locally in Wirral to create our own circular economy. Jonathan Quinn took all the visitors around his new Quinnovations Environmental Innovation Centre at Lairdside which will bring new novel and International investment & technologies from the likes of Blue Planet Environmental solutions who are Jonathan’s key investors. Jonathan said: “We are looking at reducing waste, energy & carbon footprint, preserving local landscape & habitat but most of all growing local social, environmental and economic impact. We also had food provided for the event from NEO Community, the food was surplus food that otherwise would have gone to landfill, highlighting our commitment to running sustainable events." Feedback from the event has been excellent and the excitement for the next event being aimed at supporting businesses with Carbon Foot printing coming later in the year. Please contact www.quinnovations.co.uk or Wirral Chamber for membership. wirrallife.com 89