Envirowise revamps web site as demand for green info grows

Government-backed green business advisory body Envirowise has today debuted a revamped version of its web site designed to make it easier for firms to access information on how to cut their environmental impact.

The new-look site includes a range of new features designed to make it easier to navigate. The agency says these have been developed following consultation with users.

In particular, it includes a new "Get Started" section designed to make it simple for first-time users to access information and find advice relevant to their organisation, an improved news and events section, new podcasts, specifically tailored areas containing advice for different industries, and more than 620 publications containing detailed information on environmental best practices.

Mary Leonard, a director at Envirowise, welcomed the revamp, adding that " the web site is one of the key resources for businesses looking for guidance on saving money through resource efficiency".

The organisation said the redesign had been prompted by a significant increase in traffic to the site, which saw visitor numbers between April and September this year climb 22 per cent compared with the same period last year.

The increased demand for the agency's web site could add to pressure on the government to rethink its decision of earlier this year to cut the organisation's budget.

Envirowise claims to have saved UK businesses more than £1bn through its free advice and support since it was launched in 1994. However, that did not stop Defra cutting its annual budget by 58 per cent by earlier this year – a move that critics claim has led to a scaling back of the agency's business support services.

There is also speculation that the agency could be axed altogether as a consequence of Defra's imminent Landscape Review, which industry insiders expect to recommend that agencies such as Envirowise are folded into larger government-backed bodies such as the Carbon Trust.