Become 'Carbon Neutral'
Summary:
The concept of 'carbon neutrality' has captured the corporate imagination. But this apparently simple concept is surrounded by controversy, and a wide range of assumptions and approaches lie behind the claims made by businesses.
When assessing an organisation's claim of neutrality two fundamental questions must be addressed:
Because of the uncertainties surrounding the term 'carbon neutral' the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) recently published guidance for businesses on the subject – and a new standard is due for release in 2010 from the British Standards Institute. The UK government has also launched Quality Assurance Scheme for Carbon Offsetting (QASCO). If you decide to offset some of your corporate emissions and want to report this then you will need to choose a project that meets the requirements of this scheme. Carbon offsetting should also be viewed within the context of a business's total carbon management strategy : offsetting should only be done after all other avenues have been pursued. Offsetting all of your emissions but not addressing the efficiency of your company will gain you few accolades.
Further resources:
The concept of 'carbon neutrality' has captured the corporate imagination. But this apparently simple concept is surrounded by controversy, and a wide range of assumptions and approaches lie behind the claims made by businesses.
When assessing an organisation's claim of neutrality two fundamental questions must be addressed:
- What emissions should I 'neutralise'? Is it sufficient to address only energy emissions from an organisation – or should the net be cast wider to include all the emissions that an organisation is 'responsible for' in the supply chain? For example, only offsetting the office energy emissions if you are a manufacturing company would leave you open to criticism.
- How do I achieve neutrality? There is a relatively well-established and regulated mechanism for purchasing emissions 'offsets'. These reductions are achieved through projects elsewhere in the world e.g. tree planting and energy efficiency projects.
Because of the uncertainties surrounding the term 'carbon neutral' the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) recently published guidance for businesses on the subject – and a new standard is due for release in 2010 from the British Standards Institute. The UK government has also launched Quality Assurance Scheme for Carbon Offsetting (QASCO). If you decide to offset some of your corporate emissions and want to report this then you will need to choose a project that meets the requirements of this scheme. Carbon offsetting should also be viewed within the context of a business's total carbon management strategy : offsetting should only be done after all other avenues have been pursued. Offsetting all of your emissions but not addressing the efficiency of your company will gain you few accolades.
Further resources:
- DECC – Guidance on carbon neutrality
- DECC – Quality Assurance Scheme for Carbon Offsetting (QASCO)
- British Standards Institute – PAS2060 specification on carbon neutrality