We're encouraging, and supporting, Medway’s residents, businesses and wider community to do their bit in the fight against climate change.
Alongside our Climate Change Action Plan, and information about what our services are doing, we've published tailored information to residents, businesses, community organisations, landlords, schools, universities and visitors on our website which explains what they can do to help lower their carbon footprint and the support that is available to help them.
This includes:
- finding out what your carbon footprint is
- litter picking
- applying for community grants
- knowing, and improving, the grade on your property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
- recycling correctly
- reducing the number of car journeys you make by walking, cycling or by using public transport, where possible
We have also published some information for young people, as they are essential in taking forward the climate agenda. This supports Medway’s Child-Friendly City aspiration.
Some local businesses are already doing their bit to help tackle climate change and lower their carbon footprint.
AM Espresso, a mobile specialty coffee shop, is run out of a converted classic Citroën van which has solar panels installed on the roof. The solar panels charge the batteries and, in the summer months, they generate enough power to supply equipment such as coffee grinders and a fridge.
Andrew Marchant built the business with sustainability at the forefront of his plans. Andrew is a keen advocate for sustainability and aimed to build a business which had as low carbon footprint as possible.
Pick sustainable products
He said: “Providing an outstanding quality product should not cost the earth, there are options available to pick sustainable products, and low waste alternatives with traceability and culpability in the supply chain. I think it's important to be honest about my business impact and I explore ways to optimise and reduce my footprint where I can.”
AM Espresso also uses fully recyclable and compostable coffee cups and lids and its coffee beans are sources sustainably.
Chatha Hygiene, based on Medway City Estate, provides professional hygiene services within Medway and across the UK. They are committed to reducing their impact on the planet and supporting their clients to do so too. The business installs more efficient water management systems in toilets to reduce water wastage. By installing a management system that flushes only when a user is detected by the sensor, companies across Medway and beyond could reduce their water consumption by 90per cent, improving their carbon footprint.
Chatha Hygiene also sources paper products, like toilet roll and paper towels, from a local paper mill which produces recycled paper. Not only is the paper produced in a more environmentally friendly way, but it also causes less blockages.
Forward thinking
Fiona from Chatha Hygiene, said: “From the cradle to the grave the human race produces natural waste that has to be dealt with. We always look to work with others, especially locally, who are forward thinking and are researching more ways to improve their overall footprint.”
Businesses, or residents, who have made changes to help tackle climate change are encouraged to email climatechange@medway.gov.uk.
We all need to play our part
Cllr Howard Doe, Deputy Leader of Medway Council, who is leading on Medway’s Climate Change agenda, said: “Climate change is an issue which impacts everyone so we all need to play our part. There are a number of small things we can all do in our daily lives which will make a big difference to our climate such as walking, cycling or using public transport more often, ensuring we recycle correctly and even turning the tap off whilst we brush our teeth. We are working hard to achieve net zero carbon across Medway by 2050 and I would encourage residents to visit our website to find out more about what they can do to help tackle climate change.”