There are many resources to help you understand climate change and your organisation’s impact on the climate, and the impact of climate change on your organisation.

General

Julie’s Bicycle has produced an excellent guide which also provides a methodology for approaching the issue. It can be found at http://www.juliesbicycle.com/media/downloads/JB-Environmental-Resources-for-the-Arts.pdf

Julie’s Bicycle also has a whole host of excellent resources, practical guides, reports and suggestions. Access them at www.juliesbicycle.com/resources

The British Council’s Long Horizons is an interesting and useful collection of personal reflections about art, artists and climate change. (http://www.britishcouncil.org/climatechange-longhorizons-2.pdf)

DEFRA provide very general guide to carbon counting for small businesses at http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/reporting/pdf/ghg-small-business-user-guide.pdf.

Envirowise offers free, independent support to your organisation helping you to become more resource efficient and save money. Since 1994, Envirowise has helped UK industry save more than £1 billion by reducing waste early on in their organisation processes. We also offer advice on managing unavoidable waste and working with your suppliers to maximise gains from beginning to end: www.envirowise.gov.uk

The Carbon Trust provides specialist support to help business and the public sector boost business returns by cutting carbon emissions, saving energy and commercialising low carbon technologies. It can help with energy audits, advice, venture capital, training and information: http://www.carbontrust.co.uk

Waste

Zero Waste Scotland is a government organisation aiming to reduce Scotland’s waste production. They have a number of useful publications aimed at small businesses – and can provide valuable energy audits through Envirowise Scotland. Go tohttp://www.envirowise-scotland.org.uk/scotland/Envirowise-in-Scotland.html.

Envirowise’s guide ‘Finding Hidden Profit: 200 tips for reducing waste’ provides good advice on doing an internal waste audit. (http://www.envirowise.gov.uk)

Keep Scotland Beautiful is an environmental charity which aims to achieve litter free and sustainable environments throughout Scotland: www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org

Waste Aware Business is a national campaign run by Waste Aware Scotland. It aims to raise awareness of how businesses can deal with their waste more sustainably. They provide a useful recycling directory, where businesses can check who recycles what materials. It is great for checking where you can recycle those obscure things: www.wasteawarebusiness.org.uk

Energy

SMEasure: SMEasure is the right place to start for monitoring energy consumption and has tips and advice as well as the management tool.

Julie’s Bicycle’s Moving Arts - Theatre report provides some good tips for touring theatre about lighting and transport that can also apply to temporary venues (available at http://www.juliesbicycle.com/about-jb/publications").

Energy audits are available for buildings from Envirowise Scotland (http://www.envirowise-scotland.org.uk/scotland/Envirowise-in-Scotland.html). These may be more relevant to the owner of your venue – but you could encourage them to have a free audit done. They will get advice about energy saving measures and schemes to encourage investment in low energy and low carbon improvements.

The Green Energy Supply Scheme “The Green Energy Supply Certification Scheme is an independent scheme that verifies the claims made by energy suppliers against their Green Energy tariffs. Similar to a kite mark, the scheme awards a ‘Green label’ to renewable energy products that will deliver a real, measurable environmental difference. The aim of the scheme is to give you confidence in the quality of your green tariff and reduce any confusion by providing you with everything you need to make an informed choice. By purchasing a Green Energy tariff that has been awarded the label, you can be confident that you are buying electricity that comes from a renewable source and that the energy supplier is delivering additional environmental benefits over and above their existing regulatory obligations.” www.greenenergyscheme.org

Transport

Traveline Scotland offers journey planners, carbon calculators etc.

Lothian Buses: Edinburgh has an excellent bus service. Usehttp://www.lothianbuses.com for journey planning, timetables and route maps and make sure visiting companies have the information about Ridacards (short term season tickets) and know how easy it is to get about Edinburgh by bus during Festival time – and how hard it is to drive and park!

"Liftshare is a social enterprise – mission-driven rather than profit-driven. That's why you don't pay a penny to join. We are able to fund our free services by providing individual car-share schemes to councils, businesses, hospitals, universities, events and business parks - helping them with parking issues, saving them money and reducing local pollution and congestion. Liftshare is the largest car-share network in the UK, and our clients include the BBC, Tesco, Virgin and the Environment Agency.”: www.walkit.com

“Sustrans is the UK's leading sustainable transport charity. Our vision is a world in which people choose to travel in ways that benefit their health and the environment. Every day we are working on practical, innovative ways of dealing with the transport challenges that affect us all.” www.sustrans.org.uk

Funding

Various schemes are available for building owners and companies who want to make capital improvements to buildings or equipment.

Enhanced Capital Allowances “Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) enable a business to claim 100% first-year capital allowances on their spending on qualifying plant and machinery. There are three schemes for ECAs:

• Energy-saving plant and machinery.
• Low carbon dioxide emission cars and natural gas and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.
• Water conservation plant and machinery

Businesses can write off the whole of the capital cost of their investment in these technologies against their taxable profits of the period during which they make the investment. This can deliver a helpful cash flow boost and a shortened payback period.” www.eca.gov.uk

The Green Grants Machine “The Green Grants Machine is a new website designed to help businesses find funding to make the small changes that can make a big difference where the environment is concerned.” www.greengrantsmachine.co.uk

The Energy Saving Trust has a funding locator, and will also provide information about funding sources when it undertakes an energy audit: Energy Saving Trust Funding Locator

Water

Waterwise “Waterwise is a UK NGO focused on decreasing water consumption in the UK and building the evidence base for large scale water efficiency. We are the leading authority on water efficiency in the UK. Waterwise is an independent, not for profit organisation that receives funding from the UK water industry and from sponsorship and consultancy work. In England, we sat on the Environment Minister’s Water Saving Group alongside the water industry and regulators. Waterwise set up the Saving Water in Scotland Network.” www.waterwise.org.uk

Further Information and general reading

A great book is David MacKay’s Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air which really hits home on why we need to reduce energy consumption. A 10 page summary is available here: www.withouthotair.com%2Fsynopsis10.pdf.

Dave Reay’s book Climate Change Begins At Home (Macmillan, 2005) is a good summary of climate change and what you can do to help prevent it.