Net Zero Business Accreditation Scheme

Applications have now closed for this round. Keep an eye on our social media to find out who achieved accreditation this time!

Chorley Council is committed to reaching its ambitious target of net zero by 2030. As part of this, we have a fantastic opportunity for businesses in the borough to showcase the fantastic work they are doing to help us reach our target and help to fight climate change.

We are introducing the Chorley Net Zero Business Accreditation scheme. We want to reward and publicise excellent practice, inspire other businesses and create a ripple effect of net zero innovation across Chorley.

Below are details of key information of the scheme including the scheme format, supporting information, key dates, application forms and contact details.

Benefits of Accreditation

We want to celebrate your exceptional work through this accreditation scheme and, if you are accredited, your business will be included in communications delivered by Chorley Council including;

A placement on the Chorley Council website as part of a directory of businesses in receipt of the accreditation
A press release relating to the accreditation
A yearly feature on our social media channels outlining the successful accredited businesses
Be used as a case study to highlight excellent practice (with permission from the applicant)
Be part of other ad-hoc opportunities the council may generate to promote the accreditation.

Each accredited business will be provided with a plaque to be displayed within their businesses and online plaque (.png file) to be used online with websites, emails and social media channels. All plaques will be presented to accredited businesses by our Executive Member for Customer, Streetscene and Environment.

How it Works

Every year, 10 businesses will be awarded this prestigious accreditation. Your application will go through a rigorous process of longlisting and then through to shortlisting. Longlist judging will take the top 20 businesses from those who have applied, which will then move onto shortlist judging.

The final shortlist will be judged by a panel of esteemed judges who have extensive knowledge of the environmental and business fields. Shortlisting will be include in-person interviews with our panel of judges. Final dates and times of these interviews will be coordinated following longlisting.

Once accredited, businesses will not be required to reapply annually. Businesses that were unfortunately not successful in a given year, are able to apply again in another year.

Supporting Information

In order to support businesses in the application process a support document has been developed which provides additional information regarding the scheme, the judging format, and points which would be beneficial to cover within an application. The supporting information has been developed to cover key information which will be beneficial to businesses of all sizes.

For businesses in the early stages of making steps towards net zero and sustainability, this document will provide support and information for steps which can be taken towards these goals, and potentially to support a future application to the Net Zero Business Accreditation Scheme.

The Net Zero Business Accreditation Support Document can be found below:

Support Document for Climate Change Business Accreditation Scheme (Word doc) [904KB]