Posts Tagged ‘carbon reduction’
How Can ISO 14001 Benefit My Business?
May 16, 2012 | 
Author Environmental Issues are now of paramount consideration by company directors, owners and employees worldwide.
Since the 14001 Environmental management system includes everyone in the business and all areas of the organization that affect the environment, it can improve an organization’s environmental performance in many ways. This improved performance comes at a cost to the organization, a cost which can be recovered by aggressively seeking benefits.
Some of those benefits are as follows:
All environmental policies and procedures are now in the same format
All documents are now easily accessible to employees so compliance has improved
Regularly scheduled EMS reviews are ensuring both legal and ethical obligations are met in a timely fashion.
Increased Profits
The quantity of materials and energy required for manufacturing a product may be reduced, thereby reducing the cost of the product, material handling costs, and waste disposal costs.
An EMS can help reduce incidents of pollution and the associated expense of recovery.
Recycling manufacturing waste and unused inputs could increase revenues. Recycling need not be within the same facility, but with another one that can use the waste as input to their production.
Employee health and safety can be improved, thereby improving productivity, decreasing sick days, and reducing insurable risk.
Insurance claims may be reduced, thus reducing the costs of coverage and settlements.
This is just a sample of the benefits available to business; the list of benefits and potential benefits is considerably larger.
Posted in Carbon accounting, carbon emissions, Carbon footprint, Carbon management, carbon reduction, Carbon Reduction Commitment, Climate Change, CO2, CSR, Environmental accounting, Footprint, ghg emissions, Iso14001, Social Responsibility | 
Tags: Benefits, Business, carbon reduction, Change, Climate, Corporate, CSR, EMS, Enterprise, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, environmental management system, Global, Green, Greenhouse, ISO 14001, Management, Money, Social, Social Responsibility, Solutions | 
No Comments »
The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme – A Review
We are now well on the road to the end of the first year of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme.
We’ve had the scare stories, the organisations not registering, or less organisations registering than were first thought. Early estimates from the Government suggested 5000 plus organisations would be full participants with a further 20,000 as information disclosures.
We’ve had over 3,700 full participants register, what does this communicate to us?
For me, based on my research, it tells me that a lot of organisations were confused as to what they needed to do. For example, a car dealership, an example Defra used in their literature, if that dealership was a single franchise, SEAT for example, then if a single SEAT dealer anywhere else in the UK had a half hour meter then ALL SEAT dealerships and SEAT companies were in, under the banner of SEAT, who had the responsibility of collating this information. That’s nice and simple, until you then look at if that same dealership had say SEAT and VW at the same premises, they’re out? Add to that the ability to register independently so the SEAT brand did not have to account for everything that traded under its name . . . confused . . . therein lies the problem!
At least the Con/Dem co-alition government has pushed back the full implementation of phase 1 of the CRC by 12 months, the same for Phase 2.They are also looking at making the scheme simpler, firstly by making it a Tax, no payments from the pot for those that reduce emissions the most, Good or Bad?
For me it’s a bit of good and bad, organisations no longer being rewarded for reducing emissions will need to find some other motivation to reduce emissions! The good side is that it is giving these organisation more time to get to grips with the scheme, however, as experience has shown, a lot of organisation left it to the last minute before registering for the CRC, will they do the same again?
Initially Phase 1 reporting is primarily about Scope 1 & 2 emissions, Scope 1 being based on energy you produce, for example if you had a wind turbine and selling electricity back to the grid, Scope 2 is for energy you purchase.
However Phase 2 of the CRC is interesting, as it suggests that Scope 3 emissions will be included in a company’s declaration, a good way of introducing mandatory emissions reporting for all via the back door. Scope 3 covers everything from Travel to Suppliers.
If we look at suppliers for a large organisation, this could easily be in the thousands, a local authority I recently met with, have in excess of 5000 suppliers, under phase 2 they will need to liaise with all 5000, collate the emissions data for those 5000 and submit under the local authorities umbrella.
This will be an administrative nightmare for the unprepared, both the supplier and the large organisation. This will mean that for those who tender for work from larger organisations it will no longer be just a tick box exercise for environmental policy, such as ISO14001, it will be a detailed report on emissions and those not able to submit such a report, will ultimately, not win any business.
At Be Seen Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in Carbon accounting, carbon emissions, Carbon footprint, Carbon management, carbon reduction, Carbon Reduction Commitment, Climate Change, CO2, CRC, CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, CSR, Edinburgh CRC, Energy, Environmental accounting, Footprint, ghg emissions, Glasgow CRC, Global Warming, Iso14001, London CRC, UK CRC | Tags: Business, carbon reduction, Change, Climate, Corporate, Edinburgh CRC, edinburgh recycle, Efficiency, Emissions, Energy, Enterprise, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, Footprint, Glasgow CRC, Greenhouse, London CRC, Management, Power, Reducing, Renewable, Responsibility, Social, the CRC energy efficiency Scheme, UK CRC, warming | No Comments »
UK Must cut Emissions By 60%
The Committee on Climate Change has called on the UK to reduce its emissions by 60% compared to 1990 levels over the next two decades.
In its report ‘The Fourth Carbon Budget – Reducing emissions through the 2020s’ the committee puts the case for creating a new marker in the battle to cut emissions.
Currently most targets are aimed at cuts on 1990 emissions levels before 2050. But to drive the fight against climate change the committee suggests a plan as part of a carbon budget for 2023 to 2027 and a target for emissions reductions in 2030, which would be halfway between now and 2050.
The recommended target for 2030 is to cut emissions by 60% relative to 1990 levels, or 46% relative to current levels, which needs a 62% emissions reduction from 2030 to meet the 2050 target in Britain’s Climate Change Act.
The committee estimates the recommended target can be achieved at a cost of less than 1% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or as it states in the report ‘a fraction of one year’s growth’ over the next two decades.
It also backs that new carbon budgets should be legislated by summer 2011, as required under the Climate Change Act.
Committee on Climate Change chair said: “We are recommending a stretching but realistic fourth carbon budget and 2030 target, achievable at a cost of less than 1% of GDP. “Any less ambition would not be compatible with the 2050 target in the Climate Change Act. “We therefore urge the Government to legislate the budget we have recommended, and to develop the policies required to cut emissions over the next two decades. “The case for action on climate change is as strong as ever: climate science remains robust and suggests that there are very significant risks if we do not cut emissions. And countries acting now will gain economic benefits in an increasingly carbon constrained world.”
The CBI’s director of business environment, backed the new 2030 target. He said: “We support the UK’s existing climate change targets for 2020 and 2050 and businesses are already taking steps to measure and reduce their emissions. “The Committee’s proposal for an extra staging post at 2030 could provide additional clarity for investors, but the feasibility of the proposed target would need to be examined in detail. “Investors will only commit to low-carbon projects if they are confident about the policy framework in the long-term. “The Government’s forthcoming announcements on reform of the electricity market and work to simplify the Carbon Reduction Commitment will be crucial tests.”
At Be Seen Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in Carbon accounting, carbon emissions, Carbon footprint, Carbon management, carbon reduction, Climate Change, CO2, CRC, CSR, Energy, Environmental accounting, Footprint, ghg emissions | Tags: Business, carbon accounting, carbon emsissions, carbon measurement, carbon reduction, carbon reduction committment, Change, Climate, CO2 reduction, Corporate, CRC, CRC energy efficiency scheme, edinburgh recycle, Efficiency, electrical waste recycling, Emissions, emissions reduction, emissions reporting, Energy, energy efficiency, Enterprise, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, Footprint, ghg, Green, green house gases, London, London emsissions, Renewable, warming | No Comments »
Going Green Is Not Just For Big Business-You Can Grow Profits, Too!
The world of big business is making daily headlines by “going green” after discovering that what’s good for the planet is also proving good for business.
IBM recently announced “Project Big Green,” a $1 billion initiative to reduce energy consumption by offering new lines of energy-efficient IT products.
Wal-Mart is adding solar power to more than 20 stores.
PepsiCo is buying renewable energy certificates to offset its carbon footprint. Even major banks and energy firms are being asked by shareholders to prove that they, too, are going green.
It’s not just the biggest businesses that are attracting new customers and shareholders and reaping huge profits by “going green.” Small businesses also are growing eco-profits by embracing surprisingly inexpensive strategies to add value to their products, services and brand.
Consider these innovative examples:
- Bob Smith of Mad River Brewing Company in Blue Lake, California, has attracted positive publicity (and new customers) by promoting his efforts to reduce his small firm’s waste output and take other environmentally conscious steps. In turn, he has received welcome positive publicity from the press. “What PR budget? That is our PR budget,” he told the Albuquerque Tribune about “going green” to market his business.
- In Florida, Natalie Kelly formed Home Therapy Cleaning Services, which uses only nontoxic, all-natural cleaning products for her home cleaning business. She used to sell aromatherapy candles from her home, she told the St. Petersburg Times, but today uses an aromatherapy baking soda blend to freshen carpets.
Here’s what you can do:
- Two inexpensive ways any small business or solo entrepreneur can go green are to change light bulbs to energy-efficient bulbs and use biodegradable cleaning products.
- With that done, tell your customers and the media about these simple ways to go green. You will have just earned instant credibility as a green business, and also as a media resource for simple, effective ways to “go green.”
- Many communities online and offline are forming networks to exchange energy-saving ideas for home and business. Form your own energy network, enlisting neighborhood businesses that will welcome another opportunity to show they’re going green, too. The plus for you is that you will have just positioned yourself and your business as a community environmental leader.
-Write a “green” article on simple ways you are going green and submit it to one of the dozens of “green” Web sites and blogs that invite reader contributions. It’s a great way to market your smart ideas and your business!
Posted in Carbon accounting, carbon emissions, Carbon footprint, Carbon management, carbon reduction, Carbon Reduction Commitment, Climate Change, CO2, CRC, CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, CSR, Environmental accounting, Footprint, ghg emissions, Glasgow CRC, Green IT, London CRC, Social Enterprise, Social Responsibility, UK CRC | Tags: Business, BusinessYou, carbon reduction, Change, Climate, Emissions, Enterprise, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, Footprint, Going, Green, Greenhouse, Grow, Just, Management, Profits | No Comments »
Energy Efficiency Report shows SME’s missing out
Npower has revealed new research that shows over half of small to medium sized businesses (SMEs) have no measures in place to monitor energy efficiency, despite many of them seeking ways to manage the bottom line in tough economic conditions.
The findings from the latest npower Business Energy Index (nBEI) show that 53% of the 4.8 million* SMEs in the UK have no methods in place to manage business energy efficiency, and nearly one in five (18%) didn’t know if they had reduced their energy consumption over the past 12 months.
This is despite figures from the report showing that where energy efficiency is being measured, 50% of SMEs reported savings of up to 10%, showing there is huge scope to make significant business savings, while also reducing carbon emissions.
Statistics from the Carbon Trust also highlight the potential for SMEs to reduce emissions further. The Trust found that SMEs have a potential energy saving opportunity of up to 20%, compared to 8% for large businesses.
Patrick Harvey, head of customer loyalty at npower, said: “This year’s npower Business Energy Index found that for SMEs, the greatest driver for increasing energy efficiency is cost, rather than the environment. This is why it is surprising that so many are still not measuring the positive impact that implementing energy efficiency measures can have on their business.
“The results of the research show the huge untapped potential for SMEs to both reduce emissions and increase savings”
However, encouragingly, overall the nBEI found that the importance SMEs place on energy management and efficiency is at its highest level since 2005. When asked to rate the significance of energy management to their business out of 10, SMEs gave an average score of 6.7, which is up from just over 5 when the Index began.
Coupled with this, many reported to be proactively measuring their energy usage and recognising the payback of low-cost, quick-win measures such as turning equipment off, which was ranked as the most popular action over the past six months. This was followed by regularly monitoring consumption and reducing heat loss.
Patrick Harvey continued: “It is really encouraging that energy efficiency is working its way up the business agenda but there’s still a long way to go.
“More businesses need to realise that through simple to implement and low or no cost measures, they can lower their bills by around 10%. In today’s tough operating environment this is a saving that SMEs can’t afford to over overlook. This is why we’ve developed SmartStart – a toolkit and advice service which helps SMEs get energy saving measures up and running and gets them saving on their bills quickly. Smaller businesses don’t have to rely on their landlords or have a big team in place to identify and implement energy saving measures”
This report from Npower does not come as a surprise to me, most Small business believe that they would need to invest serious amounts of cash to reap the rewards of efficiency saving efficiencies. This is simply not the case.
At Be Seen Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in Carbon accounting, carbon emissions, Carbon footprint, Carbon management, carbon reduction, Carbon Reduction Commitment, CRC, CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, Energy, Energy Efficiency | Tags: Business, carbon reduction, cost reduction, Emissions, Energy, energy efficiency, energy savings, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, Footprint | No Comments »
Carbon Management Basics
Carbon Management Basics
Edinburgh is now in becoming aware of the impending issues of the earth’s temperature rising by five degrees by the end of the century, causing rising sea levels, famine, drought and an increase in unpredictable weather conditions. As much as many believe that this is something of a myth, it is in fact something that is affecting us today.
When people are not aware of the adverse result of global warming the thought of global warming becomes something of an annoyance. However, many people have seen the carbon footprint adverts on TV and will question what this is about. How does one measure their own carbon footprint in their homes and what should one do to improve their carbon management? These are just a couple of questions arising from the doom of global warming, which I intend to answer in the simplest manner.
Businesses, companies, homes, schools and hospitals all contribute to global warming and are all subject to better carbon management. A carbon footprint is the measurement of carbon dioxide released and impacted by our activity. This measures how much we affect the earth in terms of releasing greenhouse gases. Carbon emissions can be in the form of using your car, keeping lights on in the house unnecessarily, using too much electricity (such as keeping your computer on for prolonged periods of time) and much more.
Steps can be made to reduce the amount of carbon emission in the form of keeping the general everyday usage of things that may emit a higher level of carbon into the atmosphere at low number. The government began steps after the Kyoto Protocol which was aimed at legally binding targets to reduce the amount carbon emissions from main cities and surrounding areas. Working towards reducing the amount of greenhouse emissions is just one step to preventing the effects of global warming.
The media have also played an important role in passing on information about carbon emissions. Often some of the information can be distorted with myths on what can be construed as leaving your carbon footprint. Larger industries and businesses emit the most amount of carbon dioxide, which is much of the carbon management strategies are aimed at reducing carbon emissions in a typical office setting.
The most effective way of reducing carbon emissions is through automating the monitoring process, which will work on monitoring a live emission of carbon throughout the day. This will also enable companies to take control of how much energy they use from their equipment. Reducing carbon emissions from home can be as simple as switching your electricity company to another company which uses renewable sources. Also simple measures such as recycling basic materials such as paper, card, plastic and glass will help. Other instances such using your car less to travel to local areas, keeping your water usage controlled and not wasting water usage.
At Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in Carbon accounting, carbon emissions, Carbon footprint, Carbon management, carbon reduction, CO2, CRC, Footprint, ghg emissions | Tags: Basics, Business, carbon, carbon accounting, carbon emissions, carbon reduction, CO2, co2 emissions, crc, ghg, green house gas emissions, green house gases, Management | No Comments »
Kitchen Appliances How to Deal With Low-carbon Challenge
Traditional home appliances over the years also been developed and modified by national standards to regulate the electrical manufacturing standards, while many channels such as home appliances to the countryside policies, tradein system, speed up the past, some large energy consuming replacement of old products. Kitchen electric products consumed natural gas, LPG and electricity and other energy saving products is imperative to do, lowcarbon, energysaving environmental protection have formed a revolution!
From 2009, the global proportion of small household appliances industry, all kinds of circumstances, small kitchen appliances accounted for 65.1%, to smoke, stoves, disinfecting cabinet and the integral heater Four set combination kitchen appliances, new home decoration as early as A necessary and bother items. Kitchen electrical current situation is a serious product homogeneity, price wars sharp, brand operation strategy is not clear, which showed obvious asymmetry of supply and demand characteristics, therefore, in the new year, in particular the situation of lowcarbon economy has come , how to adopt a new strategy to deal with new challenges, as kitchen electric companies have to ponder the proposition.
After all, a necessary condition for energy conservation
Forum Copenhagen Climate Conference, the Chinese government promised emissions by 40% 45% by 2020 China’s carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP than in 2005 40% 45% decline. China was formally established in January 2010 as director of the State Council Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Energy Commission, shows that the Government’s commitment to energy conservation is firm. Energysaving environmental protection is bound to become a prerequisite for enterprise development.At present various types of environmental energy saving stoves have seen, such as the 18year commitment to “internal rotation Fire” technology, R & D Superman appliances, gas stove of its products 26% 30% saving, Guangzhou U.S. production of infrared rotary stove, gold enamel production smoke-free patent green kitchen, Shun Tin’s latest lowpower developed strong stoves are a pioneer in this regard.
Innovation or the appearance of the most direct way
Appearance innovation or innovation to become a kitchen the most direct way to power. Product homogeneity, based on performance to become more costeffective can not be a determining factor for the appearance of winning depend on the unique vision to the consumer purchase. Kitchen appliances has been giving “steel” impression, whether stainless steel or high density color steel, or glass panels, clean and generous, while people are slightly less rigid than. How to change these gentle art of cold things, to modern kitchen, a chic atmosphere, this is also sought after 80 manufacturers need to think of the topic.Awareness of some manufacturers in Shunde has this Road, and the focus on increased R & D efforts. Dragon flag kitchen is a Watch Group subindustry, its a deep essence of Chinese culture, China will be soft elements, such as blue and white porcelain, Po drilling successfully imported, while the exquisite craft table industry cleverly transplanted to electrical appliances industry In the same time improving product performance perfect product appearance, combined with the completion of Chinese elements to the kitchen Beixian exclusive!
Intelligent technology for development of
Intelligent cooking appliances has made many consumers feel their convenience, how to make kitchen appliances also have a “brain” mean? Also use the stove to cook through in the form of reservation, which has become the subject of manufacturers willing to develop.Side cooking while listening to music or watching videos, side bath while listening to music or watching videos, multimedia products, kitchen electric these are not new, the application of technology can find a breakthrough, or more to attract greater consumer are interested in?
Brand operation strategy unchanged
Kitchen appliances large profit margins for the industry booming, but manufacturers can not multibrand operators, most remain in OEM or other grazing areas, some brandconscious companies, driven by the interests, it seems wavering.Focus on producing area in Zhejiang and Guangdong area, remove the boss, Shuaikang, Vantage, etc. ahead of things, like Europa, 10000 hi these are some wellknown operator in the country, while the newer stars like Kang, Sok Hua such on is revolution still needs to be done type, brand operation here is not under the effects caused by cumbersome, manufacturers see the need.
Integration of environmental protection still needs to be improved stoves
Integrated Huanbao stove with small, powerful features, though the market soon, but in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other areas, marketing has become the size of a set of five or six thousand of the stove in some shopping malls are still quite short supply. The integration of environmental protection kitchen boss hope the United States, is becoming a rising corporate copy target.However, the focus integrated kitchen production base Shengzhou, Zhejiang Province, most original clothes and other industries to switch over to do kitchen electricity, so problems caused by immature technology, often appear to use the exhaust is not good, clean Nangao issues , but useless for consumers to use their experience to enhance product performance, therefore the enterprise had to face up to research the key issues.
Upgrade the status of energy saving water heaters
Gas, that is hot, fast heat, water, solar, heat pump … …, the name of a series of dazzling water heater, although a wide range of purchase or the measure of a firm, according to the Department of Statistics buyers, solar, go green because of its energysaving heat pump water heater line, gradually Selling Well.
Posted in Carbon accounting, Climate Change, CRC, CSR, eee, Energy, glasgow recycling, Recycle UK, recycling | Tags: Appliances, Benefits, Business, carbon reduction, Challenge, Change, Climate, Corporate, Deal, Emissions, Energy, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, Footprint, glasgow weee, Kitchen, Lowcarbon, Save | No Comments »
Ignorance is NO Excuse!
The amount of times I hear company directors say ” I didn’t know we needed to be” or ” I thought it only applied to large companies” is staggering. There really is no excuse for ignorance of what environmental legislation affects their business. The buck stops with them!
A recent case concerning Anderton Concrete Products Ltd highlights this ignorance, the following is directly from the EA:
Concrete company fails to comply with packaging regulations
Leicestershire concrete manufacturer ordered to pay over £50,000 fines and costs for failing to register and recycle packaging waste.
Anderton Concrete Products Ltd, pleaded guilty today (28 Jan 2011) at Coalville Magistrates’ Court to 18 offences under the Packaging Regulations, and asked for a further 12 to be taken into account.
The company was fined £36,000, ordered to pay £5,712.55 in costs, £8,408 in compensation, and a £15 victim surcharge.
The company, of Leicester Road, Ibstock, Leicestershire, should have been registered with the Environment Agency or a compliance scheme since the year 2000 and was obliged to recover and recycle packaging waste, as well as filing a certificate at the end of each year to confirm it had met these obligations.
However, the company did not register with a compliance scheme until 2010.
The court heard a routine check by the Environment Agency in January 2010 established that the company should have been registered in previous years.
The company’s explanation for failing to comply with the packaging waste regulations was that it was unaware that it was an obligated company under the regulations.
By failing to register, the company had avoided fees and other costs of £23,615.
Speaking after the case an Environment Officer said: “The packaging regulations are designed to reduce the amount of packaging used by businesses and increase the amount of packaging waste recycled. This case highlights the need for businesses to make sure they understand their responsibility.”
In mitigation, the court heard that the company had entered an early guilty plea, had cooperated fully with the investigation and were not aware that the company were obligated under the regulations. It was an oversight not a deliberate intention to evade the regulations. In addition, the company is now fully compliant.
The charges were brought by the Environment Agency under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997, 2005 and 2007 (as amended).
As you can see, not knowing really is a costly business.
At Be seen Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in Carbon accounting, carbon emissions, Carbon footprint, Carbon management, carbon reduction, Carbon Reduction Commitment, Climate Change, CO2, computer recycling, CRC, CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, CSR, Edinburgh CRC, Edinburgh Recycle, Edinburgh WEEE, eee, Energy, Environmental accounting, Food Recycling, Food Waste, Footprint, ghg emissions, Glasgow CRC, glasgow eee, glasgow recycling, Glasgow waste, glasgow weee, Global Warming, Green IT, Iso14001, landfill, London CRC, London Recycle, London WEEE, Packaging Waste, Plastic Recycle, Plastic Recycling, Plastic waste, Recycle Edinburgh, Recycle London, Recycle UK, recycling, Skip Hire, Social Enterprise, Social Responsibility, UK CRC, UK Recycle, UK WEEE, USA carbon management, USA congress, USA EPA, USA ghg emissions, Waste management, Waste Plastic, weee, WEEE Edinburgh, WEEE London, WEEE UK, wheelie bin | Tags: Business, carbon reduction, Change, computer recycling, edinburgh recycle, Edinburgh Recycling, Edinburgh waste, Edinburgh WEEE, Efficiency, electrical waste recycling, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, Footprint, glasgow eee, glasgow recycling, glasgow waste, glasgow weee, Green, London Waste, London WEEE, Management, packaging, packaging waste, recycle, Recycling, Uk waste, uk weee, Waste, waste management, waste packaging, weee | No Comments »
EU report supports Mandatory Emissions Reporting
The EU should adopt mandatory GHG Emissions reporting framework for businesses, according to a recent study published by the European Commission’s environment department.
The 239-page study conducted by consultancy ERM analyses a range of corporate carbon reporting methodologies. Of the 80 in use globally, nine are assessed in detail including ISO 14064:2006 and the French Bilan Carbone method.
ERM identifies problems in the existing voluntary approach, not least that the results of different methodologies cannot be easily compared. Few methods fully integrate corporate target setting, and guidance is often missing for specific sectors.
A major GHG reporting scheme such as the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is more suited for large companies and does not oblige firms to report CO2 from their supply chains, called scope 3 emissions in the first round of CRC implementation. Although phase 2 does infact suggest that scope 3 emissions will be included. However, Its reliability may also be questionable, as participants are not required to verify their emissions, says ERM.
Any new scheme backed by the EU would have “a significant risk of low uptake” if it is only voluntary, according to the consultancy. This is partly because leading ones, such as the CDP, are widely used in some sectors already. The UK government published revised voluntary reporting guidelines in Spetember 2009, with the Scottish governments Zero Waste plan requesting that public sector organisation report their emissions voluntarily from Jan 2011.
To maximise participation rates and ensure a level playing field, a mandatory approach will be needed, says ERM. A new scheme must also include “strong measures aimed at setting corporate GHG reduction targets”.
This year, 2011, the commission will publish a corporate environmental impact assessment method which will take into account the study’s advice on carbon emissions. An impact assessment method for products will also be published ahead of the 2012 review of the EU’s sustainable consumption and production strategy.
Mandatory emissions reporting is now a question of when rather than if.
Following the UK governements report in December 2010 to parliament on how effective reporting is in the battle of emissions reduction it seems certain that we will see the introduction of legislation of some sort to enforce reporting. The Climate Change Act 2008 requires this legislation to be inplace by 6th April 2012, or an explanation why it hasn’t been introduced. The mechanism for reporting will be the companies act 2006, section 416 (4), the directors report.
Posted in Carbon accounting, carbon emissions, Carbon footprint, Carbon management, carbon reduction, Carbon Reduction Commitment, Climate Change, CO2, CRC, CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, CSR, Edinburgh CRC, Energy, Environmental accounting, Footprint, ghg emissions, Glasgow CRC, Global Warming, Iso14001, London CRC, Social Responsibility | Tags: accounting, Business, carbon accounting, carbon reduction, Change, Climate, Corporate, Edinburgh CRC, Emissions, emissions reporting, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, environmental accounting, EU, EU emissions reporting, Footprint, ghg, ghg emissions, Glasgow CRC, Global, global warming, Green, Greenhouse, greenhouse gases, London CRC, Management, mandatory emissions reporting | 2 Comments »
What Are Carbon Footprints?
Carbon Footprints
It is not as easy to measure a a carbon footprint, whether it be an individuals or even a product’s footprint as some may think.
As an example, let’s take a pack of bacon:
There are several stages in the life-cycle of a food product: raw materials are produced and transported, the food is processed and packaged and then it is distributed to retailers where it is stored. But it doesn’t end there: once bought it must be transported home, stored again and consumed, all of which use energy. Lastly there is disposal – the packaging is collected and usually taken to landfill; a small amount is recycled or reused.
In each of these stages there are hundreds of complex processes, all of which will emit greenhouse gases, which can vary by each individual product. Taking the pack of bacon: At the start of the cycle we have a young pig. Its food is produced and transported to the farm where it lives. Immediately we must ask: How is it transported? By lorry, plane, rail? How is its food supply manufactured? How many tractors plough the corn field where its food is grown, and what are the emissions of each tractor? This can go on, and we are only on the first phase of the cycle. The pig farm machinery must also be taken into consideration – and each farm will be different. What of the emissions from each pig’s bodily functions?
This question may seem insignificant when compared to the many other factors, but it leads to another very important point: The carbon footprint of a product is a measure of its impact on the environment i.e. how much is it going to increase the greenhouse effect? The use of the word ‘carbon’ can be confusing here; there are other gases which when released into the atmosphere have a far greater global warming potential, relative to carbon dioxide.
And so this brings us to methane. Obviously pig’s fart, It is emitted at other stages of the cycle too, such as landfill where waste decomposes and releases methane.
In carbon footprints, these other gases are accounted for and included. The trouble is that many of the carbon footprints quoted today can be somewhat misleading, because they are based on the global warming potential relative to CO2 over a 100 year period. If we had 100 years to address climate change, this would make sense. But it appears we have years, not decades, so it would be more meaningful to consider the effect over the next 20 years. One can see that methane is 3 times more potent over 20 years than it is over 100 years. The footprints of products would almost certainly be different if calculated on a 20 year basis.
Riverford, the largest supplier of organic food boxes in England, came across a good example of the complexity in measuring the carbon footprints of food and drink. Riverford carried out a study comparing the carbon footprint of its tomatoes grown locally to those grown in Spain. It would be reasonable to expect that the tomatoes grown abroad would have a higher footprint – they have further to travel and they must be conserved (refrigerated) on route. However the study showed that while they do indeed emit more CO2 in the transport stage, overall they are less carbon-intensive i.e. fewer greenhouse gases are released in the life-cycle of each Spanish tomato sold in the UK, than in a UK tomato sold in the UK! This is because in Spain, the tomatoes can be grown in the natural climate, but in the UK greenhouses are needed, heating is needed and the growing of the tomatoes requires energy – taken from the national grid. When this is weighed against the emissions from transport, the UK tomatoes have a higher carbon-intensity.
At Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
Posted in Carbon accounting, carbon emissions, Carbon footprint, Carbon management, carbon reduction, CO2, CRC, Environmental accounting, Food Recycling, Food Waste, Footprint, ghg emissions, Glasgow waste, landfill, Packaging Waste, Recycle Edinburgh, Recycle UK, recycling, UK Recycle, Waste management | Tags: Business, carbon, carbon emissions, carbon reduction, crc, edinburgh recycle, Edinburgh Recycling, food waste, Footprints, ghg emissions, ghg reporting, glasgow recycle, recycle edinburgh, Recycle UK, waste Glasgow, waste management | No Comments »