Brentford's GlaxoSmithKline is leading the way in energy saving schemes with a new initiative that will use canal water as an alternative to air conditioning.
The pharmaceutical giant, whose global headquarters in Great West Road sits next to the Grand Union Canal, has joined forces with British Waterways with an aim of reducing the building's carbon dioxide emissions by 920 tonnes per year and lowering its energy bills.
The initiative will see GSK replace a traditional air conditioning system and use recyclable water from the canal to cool their computer centre working in the same way a car radiator would work to reduce the temperature of an engine.
Tony Hales, chairman of British Waterways, said: "A legacy of their industrial past, our waterways pass alongside thousands of waterside organisations seeking greener ways of doing business.
"GSK is leading the way as the first FTSE 100 company to embrace and realize the benefits of utilising their canal-side location to lower energy bills and reduce impact on the environment."
As guardians of 2,200 miles of canals and rivers across the UK, British Waterways estimates that a further 1,000 waterside businesses nationwide could follow the company's lead by using canal water for heating or cooling. They also predict that this would result in annual energy savings of £100million and reductions in carbon dioxide emissions of approximately one million tonnes - the equivalent to taking 400,000 family sized cars off the roads.
Duncan Learmouth, GSK's senior vice president of corporate communications and global community partnerships, said: "As well as making good business sense with a five year pay back of more than £100,000 of annual energy savings, the Grand Union Canal project is also one of our global sustainability initiatives that demonstrate commitment to reducing GSK's impact on the environment."
