COMPANIES across the region will be taking part in today's World Environment Day.

Business is an important target area for the organisers, who aim to promote issues including energy efficiency and waste reduction.

The Environment Agency, which is leading the UK's response, said companies could play a crucial role in reducing the effects of climate change.

Bob Pailor, environment manager for the Tees Valley, said: "World Environment Day is about highlighting awareness of what we can all do.

"When they are put together, these individual measures can make a significant impact."

Mr Pailor said companies across the region were carrying out work for the environment, including car dealership Jennings Ford, which is planting a tree for every vehicle sold this week, in conjunction with the Tees Forest.

Planting trees, which absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, is a popular way for companies to offset their carbon footprints.

World Environment Day follows research by Mori, for the Environment Agency, which showed that only two out of five people in Britain are doing something to tackle climate change.

Only 41 per cent of people said they had altered their behaviour to reduce carbon footprints, with 59 per cent doing nothing.

Agency chief executive Barbara Young said: "The message is getting through to some people that tackling climate change is everyone's responsibility.

"But we must be relentless in our efforts to reduce carbon emissions, because there still exists a level of apathy in some parts of the community."

Mr Pailor said larger businesses were making inroads, but many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were not doing enough.

He said: "The statistics showing only 41 per cent of people are doing something to change the way they live are disappointing.

"Business has a role to play in changing those figures, as do people in the workplace.

"The big companies tend to have legislative and financial drivers to do these kind of things. The challenge is getting the SMEs involved as well.

"World Environment Day is about making them realise that by things like reducing the amount of electricity and water they use, or cutting down on their waste, they not only help the environment but also save money and improve their bottom line."

Environment Day pledges

Last year, for World Environment Day, 58,000 people across England and Wales, including many businesses, made more than 408,000 promises to change the way they do things.

According to the Environment Agency, if they had all stuck to those pledges, they would have saved the equivalant of:

* 613 Olympic-sized swimming pools full of water;

* 9.5 million plastic carrier bags;

* Carbon dioxide equivalent to driving 6,327 times round the Earth;

* 298 tonnes of batteries.

They would also have given 101 working years worth of time to a green community project.

For further information, visit www.mendofthe world.org