Environmental Technologies Is Fastest Growing Sector In London Thames Gateway

Gateway To London's Business Survey Reveals A Growing Market For Environmental Technologies In London Thames Gateway

Gateway to London (GtL) the inward investment agency for London Thames Gateway exhibiting at RWM08 (16-18 September 2008) will be discussing its recent survey conducted by YouGov, at the exhibition. Findings of the market research, which encompasses questions on a wide range of local business issues, revealed that 63 per cent of local businesses are actively trying to reduce consumption of electricity and gas.

Companies are increasingly making an effort to become greener as the survey results show. Eighty-one per cent of companies in the region, which includes the London boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, City, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets, said that they are recycling materials in the office, and 67 per cent said they are reusing equipment and materials that would otherwise have been thrown away.

This is all good news for London Thames Gateway, where environmental technologies is the fastest growing sector. The survey results highlight how the region's strong infrastructure and local market are driving environmental companies to locate to the region. Recent transport developments include the news that Crossrail, the cross-London rail link that is planned to make London's key business districts more accessible to east and south-east Londoners received royal assent. This is supported by the opening of a wide range of new facilities including; the cutting edge Bywaters Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) that is part of a £30 million relocation project to a 9.2 acre site in Bow, east London. With an input capacity of up to 250,000 tonnes of dry recyclables per year, it is the largest undercover dry recyclables MRF in the capital.

Ranjit Baxi, Managing Director of J&H Sales International, President of the Paper Division of the Bureau of International Recycling, Brussels (BIR) and a member of the Gateway to London board said: “The results of this survey show there is a real drive from companies to become more active in increasing their 'green activities'.

“It also demonstrates the strong growth in London Thames Gateway's environmental technologies market, highlighting the opportunities for environmental companies locating in the region.”

Survey specialists YouGov collected and analysed results from 574 local businesses across the region on behalf of GtL, the agency tasked with securing jobs and investment in what is Europe's largest growth area.

GtL is inviting delegates to visit them on Stand 546 to find out more. A full copy of the Business Survey and an executive summary are available at www.gtlon.co.uk