Business leaders championing sustainability in the Scottish capital gathered for the quarterly Edinburgh Climate Compact (ECC) meeting at the Agilico Edinburgh office.
Hosted by workplace
technology company Agilico and energy efficiency champion Warmworks, the
gathering underscored the importance of collaboration, communication, and
knowledge-sharing among Edinburgh businesses to accelerate progress to the
achievement of our net zero goals and drive a circular economy.
The ECC set by the Edinburgh Climate Commission (ECCI) is a
commitment by Edinburgh’s leading businesses to contribute to a green economy,
and radically reduce the city’s carbon emissions. The meeting addressed
concerns businesses had around sustainability and how the Compact can work
together to support one another at all levels of the sustainability journey.
Organisations at the meeting included the Scottish Parliament, City of
Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, NHS Lothian, University of
Edinburgh, Edinburgh Trams and more.
Jamie Brogan, ECCI Lead, emphasised the power of collective
action: "Collaboration and communication are key in the fight against
climate change. The ECC helps businesses in Edinburgh stand together and build
a knowledge-sharing network to help drive systemic change that benefits both
our communities and the environment."
Agilico and Warmworks presented their circular-first approach highlighting how they are spearheading the transition to net-zero.
Agilico is dedicated to sustainability and reducing its environmental impact with a commitment to achieving Net Zero status by 2030 and aligning its operations with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while championing the circular economy within the managed print sector.
"At Agilico, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do," said Lynn Harrison, Tender Manager at Agilico. "Our commitment to Net Zero by 2030 is not just about reducing our own carbon footprint but also about helping our customers and partners transition to more sustainable practices and sharing best practices with the business community. However, we know that tackling climate change requires collaborative action, and initiatives like the Edinburgh Climate Compact are essential to driving the collective change we need to build a more sustainable and resilient future."
Warmworks, a leader in delivering energy-efficient home heating solutions, is equally committed to net zero. The company focuses on helping homes at risk of fuel poverty transition to renewable heating, and has set ambitious targets to eliminate its direct carbon emissions by 2025 and all indirect emissions by 2030. Warmworks recently completed a transformative project in its Edinburgh office to transition from gas heating to renewable energy and has reduced emissions across all its UK premises by 95% compared to its 2019/20 baseline.
Ross Armstrong, Chief Executive of Warmworks added: “The Edinburgh Climate Compact is playing a vital leadership role in supporting businesses and the wider community on the journey to net zero. Warmworks has already made its own significant investment in this process through the decarbonisation of our Leith office and the electrification of our vehicle fleet - we have shown that it can be done. We’re hopeful that other businesses in Edinburgh and across Scotland will be able to follow suit, supported by the Compact, in taking the next step to make these critical investment decisions.”
Following the presentations, ECC members toured Agilico’s Edinburgh refurbishment and recycling centre, where they witnessed first-hand how Agilico embraces a circular-first approach in extending the lifecycle of Multi-Functional Devices (MFDs). Moving away from the traditional ‘take-make-waste’ model, Agilico showcased sustainable processes that significantly reduce carbon impact while ensuring that refurbished devices meet high-performance and sustainability standards. In the past year – Agilico refurbished devices have saved more than 1600 tonnes of carbon emissions, equating to almost the same carbon footprint caused by driving a typical petrol car 16.3 times around the circumference of the Earth.
With strong commitments from key industry leaders, the Edinburgh Climate Compact continues to serve as a powerful catalyst for meaningful climate action – driving businesses across the city to embrace sustainability, collaborate on best practices, and work toward a net-zero future.
The members of the compact will gather again in June 2025 to discuss the progress made in reducing carbon impact across their organisations and discuss next steps in ensuring a sustainable Edinburgh business community.