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This week Opportunity Peterborough and UK CEED are hosting a 3-day seminar in Peterborough as part of a pioneering green project. European delegates from seven countries will be visiting the city to share and learn good practice.

The RECOMMEND project looks at how environmental management systems play a major role in meeting business challenges. It aims to identify effective ways of establishing and strengthening innovation amongst local companies, particularly in partnership with European trading partners.

The project will seek to explore examples that have supported economic growth and enhanced investment across the partner countries, one area for discussion being the establishment of an enhanced eco-voucher scheme.

This approach will help provide a framework for local businesses to access new markets and take advantage of new initiatives. 

Neil Darwin, chief executive at Opportunity Peterborough, said, “We are aware that our neighbours have varying approaches to eco-management, we expect to learn about new approaches that may be applicable to Peterborough, and perhaps the UK as a whole.  Being involved in this project gives Peterborough an international platform to showcases its green credentials.

“We have a thriving green sector with over 350 eco-businesses based in the city.  I hope we will be able to bring new opportunities to local businesses following this project.  We know that many of our local companies take the environment very seriously, we hope the Recommend project will bring commercial ideas to the fore, and we hope Peterborough businesses will be at the front of the queue.

“RECOMMEND offers an opportunity to increase the number of eco-efficient businesses within our region, and achieve sustainable economic growth in times of limited resources and low confidence.”

The RECOMMEND project is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and consists of nine partners, representing eight different EU Member States. There is a strong focus on awareness raising and dissemination of the project outcomes to strengthen long-term and wide reaching commitment. Additional briefings at European Commission level are planned to feedback the project recommendations to European policies.

To find out more visit www.recommendproject.eu