Western Daily Press, 26th April 2007

Twenty three years ago a group of popstars recorded a song that helped millions of starving people. Now the man behind Band Aid is asking business leaders in the West to do their bit to change the world.
Reports Aleisha Scott – Western Daily Press, 26th April 2007.

Midge Ure, co-founder of Band Aid and Live Aid, is organising a new project to encourage entrepreneurs to help tackle climate change. The Entrepreneurs with Conscience project wants leaders to pledge their business brains, time, contacts and money to three of the world’s biggest environmental charities.

It is hoped the initiative could be as big as Live Aid and Live 8.

“I’m an ordinary character and I’ve had a blessed life but for the past 25 years I’ve been giving something back with Band Aid and Live Aid” said Ure who is best known for his band Ultravox. “It’s now payback time and I think we all need to give something back. It’s about leaving a positive legacy – no-one wants to be remembered for sucking the planet dry.”

Tomorrow Ure will play a set at a more intimate setting than Live Aid at the Roman Baths in Bath to launch the scheme and inspire entrepreneurs to go green. As well as the acoustic set from Ure, 160 entrepreneurs will meet the heads of Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and The Climate Group. A motivational film made by Entrepreneurs with Conscience will also be shown featuring Ure’s music and a contribution from Richard Branson.

Entrepreneurs with Conscience was created by Ure, Bath based entrepreneur Andrew Mercer and Michael Edge who set up financial group Chase de Vere. Ure said that business leaders have a responsibility to use their resources to benefit the environment. "If I could get 25 of the biggest music stars in one room to contribute to a song that no one had heard before why can't a group of entrepreneurs get together and use their talents to make a difference?" he said.

"The best I can do is make people feel embarrassed that they have not done what bunch of popstars did 25 years ago."

Mr Mercer is the founder of green energy company 2oc Ltd and chief executive of Footdown, a business mentoring company. The idea came from a monthly meeting with Bath business leaders who are part of Footdown. Mr Mercer said: "The problems created by capitalism can be solved by capitalism. We want entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses, engage with environmental groups and reduce their carbon emissions. Lots of entrepreneurs want to help but they don't know how. This is a great opportunity for them to do so. I think they'll get a lot of fun out of being involved in worldwide projects."

"Midge is a real entrepreneur himself and I think this has been a bit of a role reversal for him because while Midge is like Bob Geldof , out in front, I'm the person in the back room."