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The prime cause of global warming is the build up of CO

2 in the atmosphere. Every person and organisation produces CO

2 and the amount is known as a ‘carbon footprint’. Because we all produce CO

2 , it’s the responsibility of everyone to try to reduce the amount they produce to help slow global warming. This simple four-step process is something that all businesses can follow:

Step One: Measure

It is possible to measure the amount of CO

2 produced by anything from this publication or the production of a TV advert to an entire company or manufacturing process. A piece of print produces roughly its own weight in CO

2 , whilst an offce of 20 staff leaving their computers on overnight for seventy days produces 0.5 tonnes of CO

2 . If you want to measure the carbon footprint of your business visit: http://www.carbonneutral.com/ business-carbon-calculator

Step Two: Reduce through internal measures

From your footprint, you can prioritise how to reduce your emissions and set targets for doing so. Typical actions might be to:

• Set targets to change travel patterns e.g. encourage car sharing or switch from air to rail for domestic and staff meetings; • Use video-conferencing facilities when you don’t need face-to-face meetings;

• Change your energy supplier to a greener alternative

Step Three: Reduce emissions through carbon offset

Scientists are telling us that we need dramatic reductions in CO

2 to help meet targets. To do this or to achieve net zero CO

2 you can pay for reductions to be achieved externally: this is what is known as ‘carbon offset’. Through this mechanism for every tonne of CO

2 you produce, your money can save one tonne more easily and more effciently through a project somewhere else in the world. There are a number of projects that you can choose from, including renewables (e.g. wind, wave, solar, hydro and biomass), fuel switching/ mixing to biomass, waste to energy projects with additional benefts (e.g. bagasse combustion, animal waste combustion) and energy effciency projects.

It is important to check your provider’s credentials by asking these questions:

1. Do you use third parties to calculate emissions reductions from client activities ? 2. Are assumptions used to make calculations clear and in line with national or international standards? For instance, do you publish a Protocol or code of practice?

3. Do you use third party verifers for emissions reductions projects? 4. Do you sell all types of carbon credits?

5. Do you have a global reach? 6. Do you have a rigorous system for contracting and retiring carbon credits?

7. Do you submit your own business to independent audit and/or professional review? 8. Do you publicly publish all the emission reduction projects you have contracted?

9. Do you guarantee the delivery of every tonne of carbon offset purchased?

10. Do you provide robust evidence that the CO

2 reductions promised are delivered?

Step Four: Communicate

Finally, it is important to let everyone know what you have done – your staff, suppliers and customers – to encourage others to follow suit.

Companies fnd that there are many benefts to going carbon neutral. Offce supplies company PDQ inWorthing, West Sussex was awarded the CarbonNeutral® company accreditation after having their emissions assessed and reducing them to net zero through a combination of internal reductions and offsetting .

Building on this accreditation they started to encourage their customers to introduce energy effcient ideas such as weekly orders to replace some daily trips to London. By going carbon neutral the company estimates it has saved £3,500 a month through this initiative alone. They are now examining other parts of their business and are encouraging their suppliers to follow suit.

To fnd out more about carbon offsets, please visit www.carbonneutral.com or phone 0207 833 6000.

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Taking action

to tackle climate change