11 January 2022
BPIF CCA SCHEME REOPENED TO NEW JOINERS
Following lobbying from the BPIF and other sectors, the Environment Agency announced shortly before Christmas that it would be re-opening the Climate Change Agreements (CCA) to new members but only for a short 3-month window ending on 31 March 2022.
The scheme, which has been closed to new joiners since 2020, is administered by the BPIF on behalf of the industry and saves its 330 participants over £11m in environmental energy taxes each year. In return, those companies commit to reaching energy efficiency improvement targets.
Steve Walker, Commercial Products Manager of the BPIF who runs the scheme, stated that “it was a welcome opportunity for printing companies to get some relief on their energy bills, particularly with the relentless increase in energy prices seen recently.” He added “the scheme is most relevant for those with high energy spends who will be the ones suffering the most from the price hikes. For instance, a site using 500,000 kWh of electricity could save around £2 ½ k a year by being on the scheme, but if the energy usage is higher far more can be saved.”
At the same time the Environment Agency also announced a consultation on the future of the current CCA scheme which is due to end in 2025. Within the consultation there is a recommendation that the scheme eligibility is confined to energy intensive industries and there is a real danger that if this is adopted the printing industry will lose the discount. This would be a serious blow to the industry as it would see its costs rising by around £11m annually if it was required to pay the full Climate Change Levy.
The BPIF will be responding to the consultation after taking the views of the industry through workshops and its Environmental Forum Steering Group. Its aim will be to try and ensure the Environment Agency retains its current eligibility criteria, and so avoid a huge increase in costs for those participants when the scheme ends in 2025.
Companies may wish to respond separately, and copies of the consultation document can be provided by Steve Walker at the BPIF by emailing [email protected].
The BPIF has launched a number of initiatives across sustainability, recycling and environmental alongside lobbying directly with the Government on the affects and implications of the Plastic Tax and Extended Product Responsibility. You can find out more by clicking the links below.
For more information regarding the BPIF’s Environmental initiatives, including how to measure a printing companies carbon footprint and cover 95% of emissions, please contact Steve Walker at [email protected] or your Regional Director.
Pay Review Data, Wage Benchmarking and Cost of Living – FEB 2024 UPDATE
14 February 2024
We have collated data from multiple sources that should be useful for BPIF members that are approaching internal pay reviews, and/or are having a closer look at their pay and benefits structure. The datafile, first published in February 2023, has been updated with the latest available data - and additional content on factors exerting pressure on pay settlements in 2024.
Slight recovery of output and orders falls short of expectations in Q4 - confidence concerns mount in 2024
22 February 2024
Performance in the UK's printing and printed packaging industry did improve in Q4, as far as output and orders are concerned. However, it didn't come close to what would historically be considered the seasonal norm, nor quite match the subdued expectations for Q4.
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