Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I hope this message finds you well! This newsletter gives me the wonderful opportunity to share all that the Future Leap team has been doing to help progress business sustainability. 

First up; the amazing success of the finale to our 3-part Festival of Sustainable Business: the Sustainable Business Awards Dinner. It was an honour to welcome over 180 guests who joined us to network and share a delicious low-carbon vegan meal while celebrating the trailblazing organisations championing sustainable business practices. Heartfelt gratitude goes out to our sponsors whose support made this event a resounding success. Congratulations to all the finalists and winners who continue to set inspiring benchmarks in sustainability. And to everyone present for their enthusiasm for learning and collaboration. We couldn’t do it without you!

In addition to Future Leap’s own events, we were thrilled to have supported the event management of the ‘Bristol City Leap: Building our Supply Chain’ event yesterday at M Shed on Bristol Harbourside. Witnessing the participation of over 110 individuals provided an excellent chance to delve deeper into how businesses can actively participate in this incredible city-wide decarbonisation and social value initiative.

But it doesn’t stop there… I am delighted to announce that preparations for the Festival of Sustainable Business 2024 are already underway. Excitingly, we have already secured several sponsorship agreements. Our Biodiversity Award sponsorship with Lawlight LLP was rather appropriately negotiated whilst on a woodland walk. Delighted to have you supporting us for a second year, Lawlight LLP! Additionally, I am thrilled to welcome Jump as our Exhibition Programme sponsor and to have Tesla onboard for our outdoor exhibition. Moreover, we are actively exploring expansion opportunities to bring the Festival to other cities. If this resonates with you, I encourage you to reach out and be part of this journey.

And it is not just our events team who have been dedicated to accelerating sustainability progress. Our consultancy team is nearing the culmination of our 8-week Organisational Sustainability Course, delivered in collaboration with YTKO. Keep an eye out for upcoming iterations in 2024 via our website and newsletters if you missed it this time around.

From a strategic standpoint, I’ve had the privilege of representing our business community in several important meetings this month. These discussions, including the SDG Alliance meeting and the One City Environment Board meeting, have been instrumental in shaping key messages for the mayor to take to COP28 and devising strategies for enacting climate strategies. Please get in touch if you would like to share your insights on these important matters.

Adding to the positive updates, Future Leap Eco-Fit has forged a strategic partnership with Mitsubishi Electric, uniting like-minded businesses in a sustainable network. This collaboration empowers Future Leap members with access to Mitsubishi Electric’s solutions, facilitating a smooth transition to a low-carbon economy. The integration of Mitsubishi Electric’s systems further underscores Future Leap Eco-Fit’s commitment to simplifying carbon reduction and lowering energy consumption across various building types. Find out more information on this partnership here.

And amidst our sustainability endeavours, let’s not forget that Christmas is just around the corner! As such, our Gloucester Road hub now has new festive window art, will be welcoming Christmas markets, and have exciting venue booking opportunities for all your sustainable festive needs. 

With a bustling week ahead hosting three events in three days, I hope to catch up with many of you. If not, perhaps we’ll cross paths at the City Gathering on Friday.

Thank you for your support and commitment to sustainable progress. Together, we continue to forge ahead toward a brighter, more sustainable future.

Warmest regards,

Katherine Piper
Head of Partnerships and Sustainability