The Sage Gateshead joins energy campaign

Sep 3 2009 by Amy Hunt, The Journal

A STRIKING Tyneside building has joined a national campaign to help the environment.

Bosses at the Sage Gateshead are pledging to cut energy use by 10% over the next year as part of a bid to tackle climate change.

The project 10:10 aims to give individuals, schools, businesses and councils around the UK the chance to do their bit to reduce the country’s carbon emissions during 2010. The Sage Gateshead is the only organisation in the North East to sign up so far and a logo for the project is being displayed on the outside of the east side of the building to mark its commitment to helping the environment.

Although the building itself is “quite green”, the music venue plans to educate staff about saving energy as well as looking at green travel schemes to help save the 10%.

The Sage Gateshead’s director of building services and founder of the Green Team, Stephen Little, said: “We feel the need to cut our carbon footprint is not only good because we’re improving the environment but will be good for business too. The Sage Gateshead leads the way in many things, in music and education, and we think can lead the way on the environment too.”

The Sage Gateshead, which will celebrate its fifth birthday in December, already has a Green Team where members from all departments come up with ideas for making the centre more environmentally friendly. Lights around the building have been replaced with lower-energy LED units and air handling filters have been replaced to ensure the heating and ventilation are working at maximum efficiency.