As the expectations on corporate responsibility increase, companies are recognising the need to act on sustainability. Good intentions are no longer enough.
Back in 2019, we launched our Future Focused approach to marketing after recognising we can play an active role in a sustainable future. We wanted to help companies understand the environmental impact of their marketing efforts and offer them sustainable alternatives to traditional marketing solutions. The approach also means applying technology to liberate business potential by embracing and optimising change. We believe the technology sector can be part of the solution not the problem. Technology is key to building a sustainable future.
As a business, we also recognised that we needed to walk the talk and not throw around more marketing fluff. So, we set a target to be carbon neutral by 2025, created a Mission Zero team and took some action:
- Introducing sustainability as 1 of our 5 company values.
- Embarked on an annual carbon audit with Planet Mark
- Our HR and Finance departments are now paperless
- Introduced a carbon calculator across our video productions
- Celebrated our 20th anniversary by donating 20 trees to Avon Needs Trees
- …and planted them!
A good start but we also wanted to do more to support our community.
We wanted to partner with a charity to donate our time and money to.
We wanted to work with a charity that reflected our own ambition.
One that makes a real contribution to addressing the climate emergency.
One that influenced positive change in the community.
And one that inspires future generations.
Enter Energy Sparks and our Small Change initiative
Energy Sparks are an awesome charity that help schools fight climate change with their online energy management tool and education programme. Their vision is a sustainable future in which the school community is at the heart of measurable action to tackle climate change.
Their unique tool presents bespoke analysis of the energy data. It’s free for schools to join and they empower children with knowledge, skills, activities and the tools to take measurable and fun action in their school and wider community to reduce carbon emissions. They enable school leaders, staff and communities to better understand and reduce their school’s energy consumption and wider measures to reduce their carbon footprint.
They currently work with 250 primary and secondary schools across the UK in partnership with local authorities and community energy companies.
Most engaged schools have achieved savings of up to 30%, typically by addressing 3 simply issues:
- Holiday use
- Weekend use
- Boiler start times
Our partnership with Energy Sparks means we are donating a percentage of our fee to them through our Small Change initiative. With a Small Change to our behaviour, we hope to make a big difference in helping future generations adopt a more sustainable and Future Focused approach to the environment. Our donation will ensure many more schools are able to get involved including ones where our own children attend. We’ll also be giving TBT employees the chance to volunteer, going into some of these schools and being part of the Energy Sparks eco team. A great opportunity to see first-hand how our money is influencing positive change in the school and wider community and help inspire the next generation.
Energy Sparks CEO, Claudia Towner said
“We are delighted to have TBT Marketing on board as one of our partners helping schools become more energy efficient and fight climate change. Funding through their future focused Small Change Initiative will allow Energy Sparks to support at least another 20 schools with our school specific energy management tool and energy education programme.”
Energy Sparks are always looking to introduce new schools onto their program so if you’re connected to a school in your local community just get in touch via https://energysparks.uk/enrol
If you would like to find our more, match our donation or contribute to our initiative, please let us know and we will explain how you can support.
Small change, BIG difference.
