Economy Minister Arlene Foster has announced funding worth £4.9million for the Carbon Trust to help local businesses cut their energy costs. The Carbon Trust, a UK-wide not-for-profit organisation, funded locally by Invest NI, works to help companies reduce carbon emissions and exploit low carbon technologies. The £4.9million worth of assistance will support a programme of measures, throughout 2008/09, that will improve the energy efficiency of companies across Northern Ireland. Welcoming the new support from Invest NI, the Minister said: “In the current global climate of difficult economic conditions and the ongoing effects of the ‘credit crunch’, businesses are keen to reduce their overheads wherever possible. By considering and implementing methods of reducing their energy costs, many businesses in Northern Ireland can achieve this and improve their bottom line, whilst minimising their impact on the environment. “Last year the Carbon Trust helped companies here to reduce their energy costs by £18.3million, a return on investment of over six-to-one. The renewed backing of Invest NI will help the Carbon Trust build on this success and help local businesses to even further improve the productivity of Northern Ireland as a whole.”

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04 August 2008
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