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A CONSTRUCTION chief claims businesses in Leeds need to act now to gain the skills needed to reduce their carbon levels.
Mark Farrar, chief executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, has launched the “Cut the Carbon” campaign to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) meet the demand for low-carbon construction.
The campaign is driven by the Government’s forthcoming Energy Security and Green Economy Bill, which will create almost 250,000 jobs through the “Green Deal” and make the construction industry more energy efficient.
“Cut the Carbon” will help businesses to understand what the new carbon legislation means for them, and will equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to meet client demands and reduce their carbon footprint.
Steve Housden, regional strategy advisor for CITB-ConstructionSkills in Yorkshire, said: “Research reveals that a large and growing number of clients want SMEs to be able to propose carbon reduction solutions, and deliver them.
“At a time when many small businesses across the region are battling with the impact of the recession, the prospect of new work in the construction sector couldn’t come at a better time.”
He added: “We’re working together to help Yorkshire businesses get the right skills in the right place at the right time.
“Being carbon ready will really help SMEs carve out a future for themselves.” CITB-ConstructionSkills, the National Specialist Contractors’ Council (NSCC) and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) have formed a “Cut the Carbon” partnership, whose research has shown that firms slow to acquire low carbon skills may find it harder to win work in the years to come.
Their survey revealed that 95 per cent of all clients view carbon reduction as becoming essential, very important or quite important in five years time.
For more information, visit www.cskills.org/cutcarbon.