STEM Scheme
Steps to Environmental Management Scheme (STEM)
Your free benchmarking service! Take the first steps to net zero. The aim of this free business support is to facilitate the reduction of carbon emissions across the South and East by providing training, tools and resources to SMEs to design and implement an environmental management system or plan.
This is delivered by the LoCASE partnership across three levels: Blue, Silver and Gold. Each SME completes a stage, moves on to the next level and achieves accreditation through workshops and your own workplan and templates to enable you to create your own business strategy.
Who Can Join?
This scheme is free and open to members of the Low Carbon Kent business network. You can join the network if you aren’t already a member.
How to Join
Book a place on one of our STEM workshops or contact us to request an assessment form:
Email: lowcarbon@kent.gov.uk
Benefits
Positive reasons to join the STEM workshops:
- It’s fully funded (so at no cost to you!)
- Even with no prior experience, tools and information are provided to allow an organisation to build an environmental management system from scratch
- Those with an existing system can use or borrow from tools provided to update or improve it
- Ability to pose questions to staff with background and knowledge in environmental management and learn of other free services or resources available, including events, grants or circular economy training
- Workshops serve as a good place to network with likeminded organisations
- Accreditation recognised by a range of organisations when tendering for work
- Support in implementing measures help meet targets, make financial savings and build resilience
STEM Accreditations
Businesses in a variety of fields and different sizes have completed at least one level of the scheme.
View a list of STEM accredited businesses.
The scheme is divided into three levels, each of which must be completed in turn. Following completion and implementation of each level, a business will be in the following position:
Blue
A business that has top management support for its environment programme and has carried out a baseline assessment of their current situation.
Silver
A business that has measured its carbon footprint and taken action to reduce it. The business has identified the resources, legal requirements, training and communications needed for its environmental programme.
Gold
A business that is measuring and monitoring its environmental impacts and has taken action to reduce them. The business has reported its progress to Low Carbon Kent and other stakeholders.
Renew Your Certificate
The STEM certificate is valid for 12 months. You will have to re-submit your assessment annually to keep your accreditation. Please email us at lowcarbon@kent.gov.uk with your certificate number when your accreditation is due to expire and we will advise you on what to do.
Your businesses may also be audited by an advisor. You will be given 2 weeks’ notice of this audit and a list of the documents you need to present as evidence. We can provide advice to help you with the audit.
Other Accreditations
Once you have achieved the gold level of STEM, your business will be in a good position to apply internationally recognised environmental certification such as Carbon Trust Standard, BS 8555 and ISO 14001.
Contact Us
Low Carbon Kent Network
Sustainable Business Team
1st Floor
Invicta House
Maidstone
Kent
ME14 1XX
This website is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund 2014 - 2020