22 September 2023 marked the West Midlands Net Zero Business Pledge’s first ever in person drop-in session.
Hosted by pledged business Birmingham County Football Association who gave a talk on the brilliant work they have been doing as part of their own decarbonisation journey. Richard Lindsay AIEMA from Birmingham County FA also told us how after putting in the hard work to gain knowledge and experience in becoming a more sustainable organisation, they have found a way to share this newfound expertise with other Football Associations across the country.
This case study showed us how sharing your own challenges, lessons and successes with others prevents every organisation from struggling with the same issues or reinventing the wheel when addressing them. The pledge itself aims to facilitate this peer-to-peer learning that can help the West Midlands (and beyond) reach Net Zero Carbon as quickly and effectively as possible.


As an extra perk of this in person drop-in session, we were given a tour of the Birmingham County FA site. This really brought home some of the work they were doing, including seeing how integrated sustainability is in their messaging throughout the club (and their lovely solar panels!).
The cross-sector nature of the Net Zero Business Pledge allows you to hear from a diverse array of organisations dealing with a range of challenges. This can highlight aspects of sustainability that you may not have previously considered and fostering a deeper understanding of other businesses you may interact with such as your supply chain or clientele.
Transport for West Midlands also provided pledgers with a clear overview of the ‘pick & mix’ of support available to businesses to decarbonise their travel. Every drop-in includes either a presentation on some of the other support available in the region for decarbonisation such as this one, or a talk covering a more specific area of net zero (such as scopes, offsetting, or greenwashing) from an expert in that area.

Like our other drop-in sessions, this one included a roundtable where all pledgers can share good news and promote their ongoing projects, events or services relevant to other participants. Crucially, pledgers can also use this time to share their current challenges, seeking ideas or support from the group. Whilst Sustainability West Midlands are on hand for advice and guidance, hearing from other businesses who may have faced a similar challenge to you or are in a similar stage of their sustainability journey can be equally beneficial. When common challenges, concerns, or interests emerge, this influences the selection of future drop-in topics and themes. Any participant can suggest a topic or volunteer to share their journey as a case study in a future session.
Join 100+ pledged businesses and receive support on your journey to net zero. Visit the Pledge website to learn more and sign up (for free!). See you at the next drop-in!
