Essex Wildlife Trust's team at the Big Green Expo
The Big Green Expo
Bluebells - Neil Aldridge
The Big Green Expo was Essex's first-ever sustainability exhibition, supporting local businesses in their journey to sustainable working.
Businesses across Essex came together on the 21 April for Essex’s Big Green Expo. Essex Wildlife Trust hosted the first sustainability-specific exhibition, in Old Park Meadow at North End near Great Dunmow. Supported by Low Carbon Across the South and East (LoCASE) and BusinessTime in Essex magazine, businesses across Essex exhibited their sustainable ways of working, or sustainable services, throughout the day.
In total, 27 exhibitors across a variety of sectors of sustainability were in attendance. From waste management, utilities, carbon offsetting, local authority initiatives for grant funding to transport and conservation, all exhibitors contributed valuable insights to the wider relationship between sustainability and business. With 85 attendees on the day, the expo was buzzing with useful conversations and new ways of thinking.
Chief Executive, Andrew Impey, closed the day with a speech on his vision for the Trust and the importance businesses can make to sustainability and climate change.
Green Match Fund (https://vimeo.com/706072041)
Film produced by corporate member: Blatella Films Ltd.
Essex Wildlife Trust's corporate team, Grant Maton and Karen Dixon
Karen Dixon, Corporate Coordinator for the Trust, says:
“We are proud to have launched this sustainability event and hope this has paved the way for further discussions with local businesses on climate change, sustainability and their journey to being greener. The positive feedback we received on the day showed that people are looking to the future, with nature in mind.”
Jill Poet, CEO of Organisation for Responsible Businesses, says:
"We have been members of Essex Wildlife Trust for many years and attended many events. We particularly enjoyed The Big Green Expo and the focus on sustainability. There was a good footfall of visitors throughout the day and it was a fantastic opportunity to speak with many of them about sustainability in its broadest sense."
Keziah Rookes, Sustainability Officer for the Trust, says:
“Sustainability is really important to us at the Trust, and over the next year, we are looking to level up on our accreditation, carbon calculating, waste management and many other things. But what we really want to do is start talking to more businesses about sustainability, inspiring them and being inspired by them.”
If you are a business with a commitment to wildlife, why not get in touch with our corporate team and become an Investor for Wildlife?