WINNING the environment award was the culmination of 30 years of Cameron Scott and Daniela Weate doing their bit for the planet.

And it was the second accolade the husband and wife team had picked up in just a few days.

Last week Greenfield won a Green Apple Award from campaign group The Green Organisation for its environmental work.

The pair set up Greenfield, a training and consultancy company in Colne in 1995, and have since worked with more than 100 local authorities, health bodies, police forces, and higher education establishments.

As well as training individuals, the company also embarked on a challenge to get other businesses to become carbon neutral.

It set up a two-pronged scheme to turn Greenfield into a carbon neutral company, and to encourage other small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to follow its example.

In 2003, the firm was split into two regional teams to cut down on travel and overnight hotel stays.

Greenfield's directors also use public transport wherever possible, which will have reduced their mileage by 40per cent in the last two years.

Other initiatives introduced include only having one small low- emission car between the directors, recycling all office waste, only switching on office equipment when needed, and sending 90per cent of all invoices, letters and brochures electronically, all of which led to the company becoming carbon neutral in June this year.

Mrs Weate said: "We have done our bit for the environment for nearly 30 years.

"We have always recycled and, being involved with environmental groups like Greenpeace, we thought why not bring our personal beliefs into our business.

"We are trying to prove what people can do to become carbon neutral."

Mr Scott said: "We were really surprised to win the award and had convinced ourselves one of the other companies would win it.

"We have never entered awards before, but just recently we have entered two and won them both which is fantastic. The Green Apple Award recognises organisations in the public and private sector for environmental work.

"Other winners have included Tesco, Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), and English Heritage."

It is the work the company had done not only to turn Greenfield carbon neutral, but also advise other companies, that impressed the panel.

Greenfield sends a number of green' suggestions and the names of green' websites on its emails, including tips and website links in its brochures.

Training courses are also offered through the Groundwork Trust on how businesses can become carbon neutral.