COMPANIES throughout York and North Yorkshire are among more than 1,000 in England which have pledged to take action to prevent climate change.

A total of 673 formal promises have been made in Yorkshire alone, with firms pledging to work with employees, suppliers and customers to help them to reduce their carbon impact on the environment.

They were part of a huge gathering of business leaders who took part in a network of ten simultaneously linked events throughout England, centred on a national hub event at St James Palace in London, hosted by the Prince of Wales as president of Business In The Community.

The move, which has been backed by some of York's biggest employers, including CPP, and Smith & Nephew, whose research and development centre is based at York Science Park, is expected to have a "cascading" effect among the wider business community.

Many of the business leaders promised to identify board level representatives to champion carbon reduction activities; to collaborate with suppliers to minimise emissions throughout their supply chains; and to develop carbon reduction targets.

Alan Leadbeater, managing director of Positive Planet, the city firm which installed solar panels at York Racecourse, as reported in yesterday's Press, was one of those who made the pledge.

His daughter, Janine, who is the firm's marketing director, said: "Obviously, being a renewable energy company, we help other firms to do their bit by installing solar panels or ground-source hot pumps.

"But our pledge is to ensure that the manufacturers of these renewable energy technologies are themselves low carbon.

"We source British products, so we avoid carbon emissions by not relying on long-distance freight."

Nick Jones, the corporate communications manager of CPP, which employs more than 1,000 people in York, is proud of his personal credentials, as a member of Greenpeace for the past 15 years.

He said: "At CPP, we are keen to look after the local environment, and to play our part in reducing the impact of climate change for future generations.

"We will be looking carefully at how we can influence our supply chain to play their part in preserving the planet.

"The time for talking is over. Now is the time for action."