Posts Tagged ‘Companies’
Environmental Requirement for Companies
March 17, 2013 | 
Author The Chamber of Industries of Costa Rica (CICR) announced that it was becoming concerned about the way in which trade will be impacted by measures which seek to combat global climate change. ”Costa Rica has a good position with respect to the carbon footprint of its products, but you have to prove it and that’s expensive,” said chamber president Juan María González in a news conference.
The carbon footprint is the total of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted by the direct or indirect effect of an individual, organization, event or product. Highly industrialized countries and countries which are rapidly developing and becoming highly industrialized, such as China and India, tend to have a larger carbon footprint than small countries such as Costa Rica.
The summit will be successful, depending on certain perspectives, because people from different nations are demanding true commitments from their leaders. The USA has already announced that it will take important steps in this matter and this loudly announces that there is political will in countries to take real action on behalf of the environment.
Industry believes that Costa Rica should cautiously take actions to meet the future. The measures being proposed have a high cost. “It’s cheaper to meet environmental standards than to demonstrate compliance with them,” Gonzalez said.
The industrial sector produces about 800,000 tons of CO2, and it sits as the fifth sector in the country that emits the most greenhouse gases, according to the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Telecommunications (MINAET). The industrial sector’s Carbon intensity is increasing at an annual rate of 14%.
Given this figure, CICR proposed an industrial climate change strategy which would be a response to environmental challenges faced by industrial companies, which are increasingly demanding, said Gonzalez.
What is still uncertain is what the future holds for companies who fail certify their carbon footprint. However, Costa Rica claims to be a green or environmentally friendly country and this comes with a responsibility to meet the requirements in order to be able to use this moniker.
Comply or Die: Companies facing Carbon Clampdown
At a time when many businesses may be more concerned about the size of their profit margin than the size of their carbon footprint, it can be easy to forget that everyone – organisations and individuals – have a duty to protect the planet for future generations.
Furthermore, it’s important to point out that by running a tight, environmentally friendly ship this can actually help businesses save a great deal of money each year.
For example, countless companies transport their staff around the world for meetings or seminars, but in an age that has seen internet technology come into a league of its own, this really isn’t necessary. VOiP software, email, telephone conferencing services and instant messaging all help to facilitate remote meetings, thereby cutting the need for expensive, environmentally-damaging travel.
The digital age can also help businesses run a paperless office system, with documents being stored on servers, portable hard-drives and many other secure cyber hubs, with the same access being granted to anybody within a company, regardless of where they are in the world. With portable web-browsing devices now reaching ubiquity in the business world, there really is no need to be printing documents out.
Moreover, the need to take affirmative action in the fight to cut carbon emissions takes on even greater significance when you consider the Climate Change Act that came in to being in November 2008.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is introducing the mandatory scheme scheme, CRC Energy efficiencyin a bid to tackle climate change and heavy fines could be applicable for companies that fail to comply with the new legislation. This scheme is only the tip of the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.
So which businesses will be affected by these new changes? Well, as a general guideline, EVERY BUSINESS WILL BE AFFECTED, no group, business, etc is exempt.
Measuring and monitoring will be central to the energy management process and the Climate Change Act should help businesses to minimise their annual energy consumption which will not only enable them to cut needless waste, but also do their bit for the environment too.
Posted in Carbon accounting | 
Tags: Carbon Accounting, Clampdown, Companies, facing, Green | 
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Companies Benefit From Energy Asset Management
Data gathered by companies from its energy systems will be used to analyze energy efficiency to help decision makers take action on improving its energy facilities and procedures. With the Climate Registry pressuring companies to reduce energy use, carbon emissions will be reduced to eventually help reduce global warming potential (GWP).
Facilities, companies, municipalities and organizations across North America, its’ states, provinces, territories and native sovereign nations, participate in a voluntary agreement. The Climate Registry works towards a common goal to identify, track and record greenhouse gas emissions. This is an ongoing effort to help in the reduction of global warming.
A key component under the Climate Registry is emissions reporting. This procedure pushes companies to take action in identifying emissions and to prepare methods that would curtail and manage such. Current and future greenhouse gas emissions can be managed, with the goal of reducing the company’s carbon footprint.
Within an electrical distribution grid, energy asset management covers all sources — distributed generation of energy, energy storage devices and renewable energy sources. As constant, real-time monitoring of indirect and direct sources is required, asset management software is indicated as these programs can best handle multiple sources and locations around the world.
In addition to tracking real-time energy use, greenhouse gas emissions from specific energy related assets can be tracked by efficient energy asset management. Included with this are HVAC systems, refrigeration, lighting, vehicle and transport, among many other types of equipment. Energy reduction efforts can be tracked in this way.
Protocols are provided by the Climate Registry to assist in energy asset management programs. These guidelines include an in-depth analysis of asset specific attributes linked to energy use. Automated programs will be very helpful in generating accurate measurement of harmful gas emissions and energy sources. Automated programs will be able to monitor and record hourly energy consumption per asset.
Short and long-term objectives are defined through energy asset management with regards to energy consumption. This reveals opportunity to play from and it will be beneficial to plan ahead of time. The goal is to improve operational performance and reduce energy risk, as energy is a major expense for any company. Energy risk factors associated with design and operation can be identified as part of a comprehensive plan to manage all energy sources.
Elements which create practical opportunities for companies can be combined with any asset management program which can help monitor and save on energy use. Several things are achieved, including energy reduction, cost control and for all environmental health.
Posted in Carbon accounting | Tags: Asset, Benefit, Companies, Energy, from, Management | No Comments »
Importance of CSR for Small Companies
Did you know that approximately 90% of businesses worldwide are made up of small to medium sized enterprises? SMEs also provide 50-60% employment, playing an important role in the development of the society. Small and medium sized companies are also an important factor in ensuring social welfare but sadly, initiatives related to corporate social responsibility have been mainly focused on multinationals and large companies. Experts believe that CSR is as important for small companies as it is for large firms since SMEs also have stakeholders and their impact is also significant for the society.
There are limited numbers of case studies that show small enterprises behaving in a socially responsible manner. According to industry experts, if a large number of small and medium level companies start making investments in the local communities, it will be easy to transform various social and environmental issues. It will help reduce poverty levels, provide more employment and also solve the problem of homelessness. For various transnational corporations, SME social responsibility can be improved if their supply chain risks are controlled. Issues such as child labor, health, environmental or safety problems in small and large companies are mostly found in developing countries. Therefore, significant changes will be required in this sector and the government will have to encourage small companies to make sure that CSR activities are undertaken and such issues are solved.
There are some who feel that corporate social responsibility can have a negative impact if it is implemented on small companies in developing nations. It will not only increase the costs but the companies will also face difficulties in competing in the market. They believe that good results will be shown on the basis of how CSR is integrated in small business activities. But all said and done, corporate social responsibility represents an approach for doing business in a better manner so; it should be promoted to SMEs. By following CSR activities, small companies can easily manage environmental impact and bring down their costs. They can also retain good employees and exercise leadership in the market to make a difference.