Business signs up to green pledge

The region is committed to become a leader on climate change by 2020

More than 200 business and environment leaders from north-west England pledged to battle against climate change.

At the Business in the Community's May Day summit at Manchester Airport, supported by Prince Charles, companies signed up to cutting carbon emissions.

United Utilities, Brother UK, British Telecom and the Co-operative Group were among the businesses represented.

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), also announced £30m of investment to reduce climate change.

Carbon footprints

The multi-million pound investment will support small and medium-size businesses looking to develop and install low carbon technologies.

Bryan Gray, NWDA chairman, said a current target of signing up 1,000 companies in 100 days to the pledge was not nearly enough.

Mr Gray, however, added: "We are moving in the right direction towards a low-carbon economy, something that will only be accelerated by the increasing uptake of low-carbon initiatives."

Companies that signed the pledge committed to measure their carbon footprints, develop action plans and set absolute carbon reduction targets.

The summit was part of the Climate Change Action Plan that sets out the North West's mission to become the leading region on climate change by 2020.