An article by Grŵp Llandrillo Menai

With an increased focus on carbon reduction, SMEs in Gwynedd and Anglesey are receiving support as they embark on their journey to a net zero future, thanks to the recently launched Green Digital Academy.

The project, run by Busnes@LlandrilloMenai provides expert mentoring and advice to help small businesses adapt and reduce their carbon footprint. Funded by UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund, the Green Digital Academy has worked closely with SMEs across the region, putting plans in place to reduce their impact on the climate.

One of the first to sign up was Llangefni-based Mona Lifting. Founded in 2005, the lifting and engineering company wanted to make decarbonisation a priority, as Operations Director, Gethin Jones explains: “We are driven by our values, and responsibility towards our staff and contributing to the local community is an important part of this. Today, more then ever being responsible also means playing our part in tackling climate change.

“The goal for us at Mona Lifting is to remain commercially viable whist reducing carbon emissions. Our local Green Digital Academy consultant understood this and with an evaluation of our operations they helped us learn which parts of the business we need look at to achieve net zero. The support has enabled us to focus on delivering for our customers in the knowledge that experts are looking at how we can reduce our carbon footprint.”

Busnes@LlandrilloMenai is part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, and provides training and support specifically targeted to businesses. Through this project the aim is to help owners understand net zero and to take action to meet growing consumer demand for environmentally-friendly products and services. The hope is that the Green Digital Academy will also lead to increased profits through reduced production costs and efficiency.

Julie Stokes Jones, is the Project Business Development Officer. She added: “We are keen to work with SMEs in our catchment area to support them to reach net zero targets. We understand that it can be a challenge and knowing where to start is often difficult. With our support, businesses can access expert advice and funding to put them on the right tracks.

“There has been real interest in the project - but we still have a few spaces left.  I would urge anyone that wishes to sign up to get in touch as soon as possible with us so we can help them reduce carbon in a way that benefits their business and the environment.”