| Carbon Footprint for Dummies | | | | companies that can’t reduce their Co2 |
| Carbon Neutrality and What it means for Your | | | | emissions yet. |
| Business | | | | This maintains an even balance of Co2 emissions, |
| There is a lot of talk about Carbon Footprint and | | | | which is carbon neutrality on a global scale and |
| being Carbon Neutral, but do you actually know | | | | promotes the reduction of Co2. |
| what it means, what impact it has to your | | | | But there are things we all can do on a micro |
| business and whether or not you should bother? | | | | scale to be carbon neutral, by acting, consuming |
| Every household and every business, in fact | | | | and working in a sensible way that does not |
| every individual is causing Co2 emission, whether | | | | derange the Co2 balance. |
| we like it or not and whether we are aware of it | | | | Imagine instead of driving by car you could take |
| or not. If you drive a car, heat a room or | | | | the bicycle. Consuming green energy only is |
| consume anything that has been produced | | | | another example, as is achieving a very high |
| consuming energy, you are – directly or | | | | degree of recycling. |
| indirectly - causing Co2 emission. The amount of | | | | Although it might sound like mission impossible, it is |
| Co2 emission you are causing is called your | | | | actually achievable to be 100% carbon neutral. If |
| carbon footprint. It’s as individual as a | | | | you buy products or services where parts of the |
| fingerprint (or footprint), as every person and | | | | profits are going to projects that help to reduce |
| every organisation has different consumption | | | | Co2 emissions or to plant trees, you are collecting |
| patterns entailing different Co2 consumption, | | | | brownie points for your carbon neutrality. |
| leading to different carbon footprints. | | | | Such products can be found on the web, but to |
| You can calculate your carbon footprint quite | | | | choose a green utility provider is already an option |
| easily, using a carbon footprint calculator as | | | | available to everyone. |
| available on the internet, e.g. | | | | For those you missed the biology lesson at school: |
| The fact that you are causing Co2 emission as | | | | Trees convert Co2 into oxygen and hence are |
| such is nothing you need to be ashamed of, | | | | great Co2 killers. |
| it’s quite normal and as a matter of fact | | | | So when you contribute to planting trees or to |
| it’s unavoidable. The problem is that there is | | | | sustainable forestry management, you are doing |
| too much Co2 released into the atmosphere, | | | | something to achieve carbon neutrality. |
| causing the infamous greenhouse effect and global | | | | So by a combination of buying carbon credits and |
| warming. | | | | reducing the amount of new Co2 released into |
| So what’s wrong if the climate get warmer? | | | | the atmosphere by sensible consumption and |
| Too much Co2 damages the ozone layer that | | | | operational behaviour, one can indeed achieve |
| protects us from ultraviolet radiation, which is | | | | carbon neutrality. This means in fact that the |
| causing skin cancer. If the planet’s climate is | | | | amount of unavoidable Co2 caused by your |
| getting warmer, the ice at the poles will be | | | | existence as a person or a business is offset by |
| melting, the sea levels will rise, devouring | | | | your carbon reducing activities. |
| settlements near the waterline. With other words: | | | | Why bother? |
| Your property by the sea-front will be worth zilch, | | | | There is no law telling you to be carbon neutral |
| and if you plan to holiday on some Caribbean or | | | | and there is no punishment if you are not. It’s |
| Mediterranean islands, do it quick as they are likely | | | | still hardly controllable and your clients and |
| to disappear. | | | | customers will probably never notice if you |
| When would this happen? | | | | aren’t. |
| It all depends on the speed by which we manage | | | | But even if you don’t care about skin cancer, |
| to deteriorate our environment. Where I grew up | | | | don’t live near the water and don’t |
| as a child, we used to go cross-country skiing; | | | | holiday on an island, there are good reasons why |
| today palm trees grow on the main street. | | | | bother. As with so many things, it’s a matter |
| It’s a threat that is likely to affect you during | | | | of conscience, and more and more people |
| your lifetime but definitely the life of your children. | | | | appreciate suppliers who are carbon neutral, |
| Ok, so what can I do? | | | | because it makes them feel good buying green |
| When public enemy no. 1 “Co2” had been | | | | products or services, is the right thing to do and |
| identified, pundits started to search for solutions. | | | | keeps the idea and the momentum of |
| Since there is no easy way to actually reduce the | | | | environmental responsibility going. |
| emission of Co2 or to even stop it dead, it | | | | So just as ISO certification, adhering to good |
| seemed like a great idea to at least freeze Co2 | | | | business practice and being ethical, being carbon |
| emission levels and not to allow them to increase. | | | | neutral will not buy you new business, but it will |
| This led to idea of promoting “carbon | | | | become a badge of distinction helping you to |
| neutrality”. For every amount of Co2 you are | | | | brand your business as responsible, ethical and a |
| releasing –or causing to be released- someone | | | | good partner to do business with. If a supplier has |
| else has to reduce its emission by the same | | | | the choice between two otherwise identical |
| amount, so the grand total remains the same. | | | | suppliers, it’ll be more than likely that those |
| How does it work? | | | | being carbon neutral will win the tender because |
| Every company has been given the right to | | | | of the extra feel-good factor they are offering to |
| emission a certain amount of Co2, according to its | | | | the client. |
| status quo at the time when the concept was put | | | | And if you are real great, you might want to do |
| into effect. Those rights are called “carbon | | | | just that little bit extra and become actually |
| credits”. | | | | carbon positive, which simply means you are |
| In order to incentivise companies to reduce their | | | | helping to reduce more Co2 than you are actually |
| Co2 emissions, their where given the right to sell | | | | causing yourself. |
| their credits. So if they manage to reduce their | | | | And this is where the ideas becomes real great |
| Co2 emission, they can sell the right to release | | | | and starts making a difference, because from this |
| the difference between their actual emission and | | | | point forward we will reverse the process and |
| the amount they are allowed to release, to | | | | make the planet a place better than it is now. |
| another company. | | | | By the way, this article was brought to you by |
| This is a congenial idea because at once | | | | Rembor & Partners strategic consultants, carbon |
| companies recognised the profit they can make | | | | positive since 2007. |
| by reducing their own Co2 emissions and selling | | | | Rembor & Partners Ltd. |
| their rights on to less developed or less capable | | | | |