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Carbon Trust to provide independent verifcation of
carbon footprints
The Carbon Trust has launched a new service to
provide organisations with independent verifcation
that their corporate carbon footprints are accurate
and compliant with the GHG Protocol and Carbon
Disclosure Project (CDP).
The Footprint Verifcation service will help
organisations meet growing demand for robust carbon
emissions data in CSR & annual reports and support the
disclosure of emissions to third party stakeholders, such
as shareholders and investors.
Harry Morrison, Director of Carbon Trust
Certifcation, said: “With the prospect of mandatory
carbon reporting on the horizon and increasing
pressure from shareholders for carbon disclosure, more
companies and organisations are seeking independent
assurance that their carbon footprint has been measured
robustly and accurately.”
He added: “The business case for measuring and
reducing carbon emissions stretches beyond internal
cost effciency and improving environmental reputation.
Effective carbon management also offers signifcant
rewards for businesses seeking to secure their places on
enterprise supply chains, which nowadays increasingly
look to their suppliers to play an active role in cutting
emissions.”
Recent research by the Carbon Trust found that
50% of multinationals expect to select their suppliers
based upon carbon performance and that 58% of
multinationals will in the future pay a premium for low
carbon suppliers to reduce their overall corporate carbon
footprints.
The Footprint Verifcation service is a two-stage
process, consisting of a gap analysis to identify any
omissions or discrepancies in footprint data that need to
be rectifed, and then full verifcation of corrected data.
In addition to verifcation services, the Carbon
Trust carries out the carbon footprinting of products
and services in compliance with PAS 2050 and the
international GHG Protocol Product Lifecycle Standard
developed by theWorld Resources Institute (WRI) and
World Business Council for Sustainable Development
(WBCSD).
Since 2008, the Carbon Trust has calculated the
carbon footprint of 5,000 products and services
includingWalkers Crisps, Kingsmill and Silver Spoon.
www.carbontrustcertifcation.com
BSI revises PAS 2050
The British Standards Institution (BSI)
has issued a revision to PAS 2050, a
standard used to calculate the carbon
footprint of goods and services.
The revision aligns PAS 2050’s
methodology with footprint methods
being developed overseas and was
developed in consultation with
international stakeholders, such as
TheWorld Resources Institute/
TheWorld Business Council for
Sustainable Development (WRI/
WBCSD), ISO and the European
Commission. Since it was introduced
in October 2008, PAS 2050 has been
downloaded more than 35,000 times.
www.bsigroup.com/PAS2050
A smart choice
Interxion, a provider of
carrier-neutral co-location
data centre services, has
announced that its data
centre on London’s Brick
Lane has signed up for
100% renewable energy
from SmartestEnergy, the
UK’s leading purchaser
and supplier of independently generated electricity. SmartestEnergy
sources all its power from 500 independent power producers, generating
electricity from wind, hydro and biomass, in addition to Good Quality
CHP (Combined Heat and Power). It currently purchases more than 10%
of all renewable electricity generated in the UK. www.interxion.com
Cover for green energy
Eco insurance provider Naturesave
has launched a new insurance
policy covering renewable energy
installations for schools, small
businesses and community
organisations. The Small Scale
Renewable Energy Scheme for solar
PV, wind and hydro turbines up to
750kw provides cover for equipment
and guaranteed protection for the
revenues they earn in the event of
mechanical breakdown or material
damage, as well as public liability.
www.naturesave.co.uk/
Dr Martin Blake, who as Head of Sustainability at the UK Royal Mail Group led a successful carbon reduction
strategy that cut Royal Mail’s annual energy bill by more than £30 million, has set up a new consultancy
specialising in corporate energy effciency programmes. Carbon Zero Solutions (CZS) aims to reduce
customers’ electricity bills by 20-30%. www.carbonzerosolutions.com
Turning down workplace heating by just one degree could save over £35m a year in unnecessary energy bills.
This is just one of the energy-saving tips included in two Carbon Trust guides designed to help UK businesses
make a 30% reduction in the £450 million spent on heating workplaces. The Heating, ventilation and air
conditioning and Heating controlguides can be downloaded from
www.carbontrust.co.uk/expertinenergy
Four former blue-chip CEOs and FTSE Directors with over 100 years’ experience in renewable energy have
formed a consultancy to advise individuals and businesses on product choices, system design, installation
and fnancing. EC Energy Solutions (ECES) can advise on all aspects of renewable energy, from basic
insulation to the installation of Solar PV or the incorporation of air-to-air or geothermal technology into a
heating and hot water system. www.ecenergysolutionsgroup.co.uk
IN BRIEF
The Carbon Trust has launched
a new business to help UK
companies reduce their energy
costs and install greener, more
effcient technology. Carbon
Trust Implementation services
aims to provide UK companies
with objective advice on energy
effciency and renewable energy
technologies; access to accredited
suppliers to deliver the work; and
help planning funding for projects.
The service is funded by a fat rate
commission from suppliers and is
free to customers.
www.carbontrust.co.uk/
implementation
The Footprint Verifcation logo is a
sign that an organisation’s carbon
footprint is accurate