Guests gather for Basingstoke conference and expo to ‘unlock Hampshire’s green potential’

More than 130 senior decision makers from companies and organisations across Hampshire came together recently for a conference and exhibition on sustainability and clean growth.

Unlocking Hampshire’s Green Potential 2024 brought representatives from the business community, the third sector and local government to Basingstoke’s Apollo Hotel for a day devoted to building greener practices into everyday operations.

Coordinated by Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and business and community organisation Destination Basingstoke, the free-to-attend showcase focused this year on practical action to improve green skills in the workplace.

In his welcome address, Ross McNally, chief executive of Hampshire Chamber, said: “This is all about helping those interested in achieving green solutions.

“We’re bringing people together so they can learn from each other and meet experts to discuss skills issues, strategies, accreditation, green finance and other kinds of support.

“It’s so powerful to have all the relevant stakeholders in the same room at the same time to give advice and share experiences, particularly at this time of growth for the economy.

“The event is ideal whether you’re a small business looking to work with fellow businesses to build strategies or you want to find the specific skills or new talent you need for your green growth.”

UHGP 2024 began with a presentation by Dr Wendy Buckley, co-founder and director of Carbon Footprint Ltd and chair of the North Hampshire Sustainability Business Network.

She unveiled a new free-to-use ‘products and materials’ database that sits alongside the wider CaDI (Carbon Database Initiative) platform.

“A central tenet of CaDI is that carbon data should never be hidden behind a paywall,” said Wendy.

“In line with this principle, CaDI provides global company and international electricity emission factors, all available for free.

“These tools are essential for organisations aiming to measure, disclose and manage their carbon footprint accurately, fostering a more sustainable future and supporting net zero goals.”

Joint headline sponsors of UHGP 2024 were environmental solutions provider Suez and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Basingstoke-headquartered TrustMark, the quality scheme for trades which focuses on energy efficiency and sustainability, was sponsor of the speaker sessions.

Presenters included Cllr Paul Harvey, leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, and George Pearce, regional head of sales at Suez.

A skills panel hosted by Ross McNally featured insight from Steve Gilder, head of construction at Basingstoke College of Technology; Jamie Mackay, strategic skills lead at Hampshire County Council; Jack Barber, partnership and community engagement manager at Suez; and James Powell, lead auditor of TrustMark.

The panel addressed questions around the challenges involved in reskilling mid-career and how best to cultivate enthusiasm among young people for learning green skills.

Other discussion points included the impact on construction skills training of the increasing use of low-carbon building materials.

Alongside the conference was a ‘green expo’ featuring 25 exhibitors who either offer sustainable solutions to their customers or have already built green investments into their operations.

On show were a wide range of innovative products and services, including traffic planning software to cut single occupancy car travel and recycled carbon-negative carpets, textiles and fabrics for use in offices.

The event was planned and led jointly by Barry Smith, relationship consultant at Hampshire Chamber, and Mark Jones, partnerships manager at Destination Basingstoke.

Barry said: “We want each attendee to take away at least one doable idea for action so that collectively we can make a difference.”

Mark added: “The green agenda is one of Destination Basingstoke’s core values.

“We want to make it easier for people to engage with that.

“It can be difficult for a small business to focus on green skills and get engaged, particularly if they’re part of a complex supply chain.

“That challenge is one of the things this event is here to address.”

• hampshirechamber.co.uk
• destinationbasingstoke.co.uk