During 2021/2022 we engaged over 500 small businesses across the Barwon South West, supporting them to upgrade to energy efficient appliances, as part of the Small Business Energy Saver Program.
The aim of this program was to support businesses in the transition to reduce their emissions by upgrading or installing energy efficiency appliances. Australian small-medium businesses contribute around 146.5 million tonnes of the nation’s carbon emissions annually, therefore making them an essential part of the transition to address the climate crisis we are facing.
The program provided rebates and incentives for small businesses to upgrade to energy efficient appliances, including heating and cooling, hot water systems, refrigeration and freezers.
We had tremendous success in the Barwon South West region with 291 businesses who upgraded through this program with our support. This resulted in an annual greenhouse gas abatement of 1,132 Tonnes of CO2 which equals a lifetime of greenhouse abatement of 13,591 Tonnes of CO2. Our team was delighted to be able to provide the highest amount of completed upgrades for businesses for a regional area.
This program was funded by Sustainability Victoria. Geelong Sustainability hopes to continue to work with businesses in the future to reduce their emissions.