The Cardiff Capital Region is transforming, building a new economy and regenerating our communities through a strategy of Innovation, Sustainability, Inclusion and Connectivity.
In our latest fortnightly regional roundup, we look at some of the key developments that are driving this widespread change – from the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2022 won by Caerphilly-based Colour Tone and the inspirational news that Principality Building Society has become carbon neutral …. to Vauxhall Finance’s headline sponsorship of the Chwarae Teg Womenspire Awards and plans for the Cardiff Parkway Station that will connect 800,000 passengers a year …
INNOVATION
Caerphilly Firm Wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2022.
The sheer diversity of sector innovation in our region has once again been highlighted by Colour Tone Masterbatch – the longstanding market leader in masterbatch manufacture – which has just received the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category, 2022.
The award recognises the major breakthrough made by the Caerphilly-based business in helping recycle black post-consumer mixed plastics – through the company’s patented Near Infrared (NIR) detectable black colourants technology, which enables the recycling of polymers that would otherwise end up in landfill.
The management of plastics is without doubt one of the greatest challenges we all face as we try to build a cleaner, greener future for the generations to come – and to date, Colour Tone’s novel technology is estimated to have diverted over 10,000 tonnes of plastic from landfill.
Employing over 40 people in a wide range of roles, Colour Tone was founded 25 years ago and has built a peerless reputation in the plastic masterbatch industry, offering tailored innovation solutions to brands and customers worldwide – and it’s fantastic news for both this ingenious team and our region that their capacity to develop and patent such inspired and sustainable solutions has been recognised by one of the most high-profile awards in UK businesses.
SUSTAINABILITY
Principality becomes Carbon Neutral as it commits to Net Zero by 2030
Principality Building Society has become operationally carbon neutral as it continues a journey to net zero status.
The largest building society in Wales, with a workforce of more than 1,000 people, has ambitious plans to reach net zero status by 2030 through a number of initiatives that include switching to renewable energy, reducing travel through greater homeworking, a ‘greener’ use of paper and embedding more sustainable day-to-day activities, both in-branch and at head office.
The Society has a dedicated team of environmental champions in-house – and achieved carbon neutral status through its partnership with ClimatePartner, who helped measure and accurately calculate the CO2 emissions from Principality’s operations
Unabated emissions are now offset by supporting an internationally recognised hydropower project in the Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which generates clean power for four million people who previously lived their lives without electricity.
This offset is critical to reaching net zero status, as whilst Principality’s emissions are generated solely in the UK, any CO2 produced is distributed evenly in the atmosphere. This means the concentration of greenhouse gases is roughly the same globally, no matter where they occur. By supporting a carbon offset project in the DRC, Principality is not only able to offset its emissions, but it can also promote sustainable development and have a much bigger social impact beyond what is possible in the UK.
INCLUSION
Vauxhall Finance to sponsor Chwarae Teg Womenspire Awards 2022
A leading Welsh inclusion awards ceremony, which celebrates the achievements of inspirational women, has welcomed Vauxhall Finance as a headline sponsor.
Committed to becoming an employer of choice to women in Wales, Vauxhall Finance is supporting the Chwarae Teg Womenspire Awards 2022, which recognises women making a difference across the nation.
As one of Wales’ foremost equality charities, Chwarae Teg runs this high-profile event to champion the contributions of remarkable women from all walks of life – a mission that is well aligned to Vauxhall Finance’s own in-house Women’s Inspirational Network (WIN), which encourages women in a predominantly male environment to flourish.
WIN supports the recruitment, retention and development of talented females across the organisation – a commitment to inspiring positive changes that encourage personal and professional growth that finds a perfect ‘fit’ in the Womenspire Awards.
Now in their seventh year, the 2022 awards will adopt a hybrid format for the very first time, maintaining accessibility and continuing to reach an audience of thousands – running live on Thursday 29 September from the Pierhead Building in Cardiff, as well as being simultaneously broadcast online through ITV Cymru Wales’ Facebook Live and Twitter.
CONNECTIVITY
Cardiff Parkway Station to connect 800,000 passengers a year
Cardiff Parkway, a new railway station proposed within the Hendre Lakes development of St Mellons, has been awarded planning permission and is expected to welcome more than 800,000 passengers a year, with the station due to open in 2024.
The new train station will massively cut journey times into the city centre – with services into Cardiff Central taking just seven minutes – as well as bringing seamless connections to the mainline train services to Bristol, London and beyond.
Neighbouring communities will be connected to the train station and surrounding business park development by new cycle paths and walking routes – with the planning incorporating bus facilities, parking and drop-off spaces, for an integrated transport hub that will run eight trains every hour to Cardiff and Newport.
The station brings forward a key recommendation of the South East Wales Transport Commission and the Union Connectivity Review, creating new employment opportunities, greater connectivity and much needed investment to the Cardiff-Newport corridor.
To discover more about the investments and projects driving innovation, sustainability, inclusion and connectivity across Southeast Wales, go to: www.cardiffcapitalregion.wales
