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THE NEED OF CARBON FOOTPRINT VERIFICATION AS IMPORTANT TOOL FOR TRANSPARENT REPORTING

Increasingly, leading organizations regard the mitigation of climate change as an important part of their role in society. Climate Change is becoming an ever-pressing matter and its mitigation more and more demanding from all members of society, including businesses and public organizations.

The origins of Climate Change are directly connected to Greenhouse Gas Emissions, which are the product of human activity. A wide range of interested parties regard Climate Change as one of the most important issues of our times and expect businesses to actively prove that they are part of the solution and not part of the problem. The issue of environmental protection is a target of prime importance for businesses and government organizations.

The results from a survey in more than 500 business leaders from China, Germany, India, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States showed the following business attitudes towards climate change: 45% said that climate change was currently a major issue for their business, 59%- believe that climate change will be a major issue for them within 5 years. At the same time, climate change is not high on the list of strategic priorities for many companies. Only 5% named climate change as their top strategic priority and just 11% of business stated that climate change figures as their 2nd or 3rd strategic priority.

According to a study by the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), almost 90% of the U.S. population believes it is important for companies to not just be profitable, but to be mindful of their impact on the environment and society.

All organizations emit CO2 from operations and production of products. Upon decision to reduce its environmental footprint, an organization must first detect its current impact to the environment. This means, undergoing assessment to calculate the CO2 emissions produced at all levels of the production line or the operation of the organization.

Over 3,000 organizations in some 60 countries from across the world’s major economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions, water use and climate change strategies through the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). CDP is an independent not-for-profit organization holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world. This data is made available for use by a wide audience including institutional investors, corporations, policymakers and their advisors, public sector organizations, government bodies, academics and the public.

A most important phase of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) calculation is the Data Verification of the data collected.  Data Verification is the process of evaluating the completeness, correctness, and compliance of a specific data set against the method, procedural, or contractual requirements.

Data verification may be performed by personnel involved with the collection of data or by an external data verifier. In general, the distinction can be made between the person producing the data to be verified and the person verifying the data. An external data verification may be performed by specialized companies upon receipt of data packages to confirm the completeness of the data package. In most of the cases on site visit are required in order to verify all data provided.

Carbon Footprint verification is needed when calculating an organizations or a products carbon footprint as the organization minimize the risk of probability of error when collecting data. Verifying the carbon footprint of a product or an organization is important to ensure it is strong enough to communicate and demonstrate your organization’s positive approach to climate change.

The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE)- a global advisory firm with activities in more than 18 countries and offices in Chicago, Brussels and Athens, specializing in Sustainability Solutions and Climate Change – has the technical experience to verify carbon footprint for organizations and products in collaboration with myclimate – a non-profit foundation and international initiative with Swiss origins,  myclimate is among the world leaders when it comes to voluntary carbon offsetting measures.

About Centre of Sustainability and Excellence (CSE)

 The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) is a global Sustainability advisory and training organization with offices in Chicago, Athens and Brussels.  CSE provides the public and private sector unique and advanced services to achieve Stakeholder Value including practical tools for designing innovative Sustainability Strategies and Reporting, verifying Carbon Footprint, LCAs and applying global recognized Frameworks for measuring Sustainability. In the last 5 years, the company has developed 4 innovative tools that have enabled fortune 1000 companies, governments and academic institutions across America to address the Triple Bottom Line and achieving a Return on Sustainability (RoS). For more information, please visit www.cse-net.org.

OAKLAND, CA — The vast majority of multinational companies are pushing ahead with developing and implementing carbon management strategies despite a steep global recession that sent financial markets into a tailspin and took a toll on corporate balance sheets, a new report has found.

Yet company progress is often a reflection of regionality, with North American companies lagging their Australian and European counterparts in assessing their carbon footprints and devising ways to reduce them, according to the “Carbon Management and Offsetting Trends Survey Report 2009,” a study from EcoSecurities, ClimateBiz and Baker & McKenzie LLP.

Based on responses by more than 300 global companies, the report offers a snapshot of global corporate attitudes toward the voluntary carbon market and the role of carbon offsets within larger carbon management strategies. It follows the inaugural “Carbon Offsetting Trends Survey 2008,” which was among the first to probe the buyer’s perspective of the voluntary carbon market.

An average of 60 percent of companies in this year’s survey have taken stock of their greenhouse gas inventories, with more than three-quarters (76 percent) devising or executing carbon management strategies, which also include energy efficiency, waste reduction and recycling initiatives. Carbon offsets play a key role in these plans, with more than two-thirds reporting they have already bought offsets in the past, or expressed their intention of doing so before 2012.

Nearly 70 percent of all companies reported a positive view of carbon offsets, the purchases of which are motivated by the environmental benefits they offer (91 percent), in addition to carbon neutrality and marketing reasons (89 percent) and fulfilling their CSR commitments (79 percent).

By and large, buyers gravitate toward renewable energy projects, including solar (92 percent) and wind (86 percent). The most desirable region for projects tended to be those located in the U.S., likely a reflection of the respondents’ origins: Fifty-six percent of those in the survey hail from North America.

By ClimateBiz Staff

Published September 21, 2009

Watch the CSE Corporate Video and find out Who we are!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=luWoGxnsqsI

 

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According to the European Union’s action plan, countries must achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Although there’s a great challenge on doing so, as defined by the European Parliament, this does not only imply to completely eliminate GHG emissions. Instead, organizations should manage a balance between their carbon emissions and the amount of carbon that the atmosphere absorbs from the sinks.

How to start with a carbon reduction strategy.

Firstly, you start with a carbon footprint calculation to check on the CO2 emissions and their impact. You have successfully used the right tools to analyze the activities. You have also calculated which are the most polluting. However, are you confident enough to implement a successful carbon reduction strategy?

Usually, a lot of businesses believe that by choosing to offset their carbon can be the first and great option, but this is not effective when it comes to reducing CO2 emissions. Reduction efforts need to become more penetrating with an efficient emissions reduction strategy.

  1. Designing the timeframe

What is the timeframe of this strategy? Scheduling the roadmap will facilitate the process of development and implementation so that the targets can be timely met while staying on the financial plan.

  1. Detecting reduction opportunities

Exploring opportunities in all scopes of emissions can result in actual reduction, while also providing an exceptional ROI. Going through the 3 scopes (direct and indirect), it will be easier to identify potential reduction opportunities.

  1. Setting costs and impacts

A list of potential strategies to evaluate the CROI (climate return of investment) prospective for each opportunity, determination of costs, emissions reductions potential and the timeline for applying need to be considered.

  1. Assess actions

Examine opportunities based on specific criteria, such as complexity, benefits, stakeholder requirements and impact operations. It is useful to score each of these criteria before moving on to prioritize actions.

  1. Developing the plan

It is suggested that a group of professionals has received the proper information and education on how to evaluate and keep track of the progress. It is also important to be in line with the timeframe.

  1. Setting Targets

The more precise the targets (meaning they are measurable, relevant and achievable), the closer to reaching the carbon emission reduction goals.

If you are interested to acquire the necessary practical skills on how to apply a carbon reduction strategy, Sustainability Academy offers a certified course with information on international standards relating to Carbon Reduction Strategies and Reporting, including WRI GHG Protocol, CDP, ISO 50001, GRI.

 

For more information and an exclusive discount contact training@cse-net.org

Bosses across industries are increasingly tasked by long-term ESG (environment, social, governance) concerns.  Atlanta business leaders are no different.  College grads or corporate managers growing as leaders are finding opportunities around sustainability. In a world driven to find short-term gains, are you prepared for long-term challenges?

CSE’s 2018 research Sustainability (ESG) Reporting Trends North America focuses on the influence of Sustainability on Financial Results.  We find confirmation of the link between Sustainability Reporting and Financial Performance.  Paying attention to long-term concerns pays off in annual profits.

CSE research highlights findings from key sectors including:

  • Media and Telecommunications
  • Transportation
  • Energy & Energy Utilities
  • Construction
  • Agriculture
  • Food & Beverage
  • Financial Services
  • IT and Security

These industries are key drivers in Greater Atlanta, in Georgia and throughout the South.  Warner Media, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Delta, Home Depot, (many of whose execs we’ve trained), face serious and growing need to produce and implement a strong sustainability strategy.

Through consulting, research and training, we break down CSR (corporate social responsibility) data by sector.  Drawing from the telecom industry, the issues which keep telecom CEOs on edge include:

  • Sustainable product design,
  • inclusion and diversity,
  • talent management,
  • customer service and transparency,
  • privacy and security,
  • waste and recycling,
  • energy and emissions.

Whether you are an engineer, from HR, client relations, IT or operations, CEOs need sustainability experts.

Another example from telecommunications:

  • only 15 of the 600 sustainability reports in North America were from the telecom industry – more are needed!
  • 27% of those reporting are externally assured – higher than average but room for growth
  • 60% of the top-10 telecom companies (based on revenues) conduct sustainability reports – key to a pattern of success!

Be among those driving successes.  Indeed.com lists thousands of well-paying Atlanta jobs which omit “sustainability” from the job title but includes it prominently in the job description.  For example, ZipRecruiter reports that telecom jobs in Atlanta range from $39,000-$70,000, with many reaching even higher.

CSE’s Certified Sustainability Practitioner Program (Advanced Edition 2019) offers trainings on these key topics and many others. The first 2019 programs in North America are in Atlanta, Feb. 21-22; Toronto, April 11-12; and Seattle, April 15-16, 2019.

Business Ethics and Sustainability

Business Ethics is widely considered to be one of the most important ingredients of the Social pillar of Sustainability. A business can be considered sustainable when supported and approved by its stakeholders, employees and the community. Fairness, efforts towards retention and engagement, and good practices towards these groups constitute key indicators for a business’s sustainability.

Latest Trends

Compliance officers are expected to respond to various trends regarding business ethics, which gradually become more challenging. The evolution of technology greatly assisted the steps towards a business’s sustainability (better work conditions, increased communication, additional jobs), while it has dramatically changed the face of these developments, e.g. automation. Dilemmas have arisen concerning the point where the human substitution becomes unethical. Is it ethically acceptable for organizations to “get into the consumers’ head” or to try to influence their emotions? The examples below come from the marketing and psychology field. One could say the “robots” are taking over.

From Science Fiction to Neuromarketing

Marketing has been the pioneering field in this dynamic invasion of technology in people’s minds. Brands, in their effort to create strong connections and engagement with consumers, have recruited neuroscience. Marketers study the nervous system, how the brain reacts to particular stimulus and specifically what particular emotions they trigger. The ultimate goal is for consumers to bond with the brands and raise engagement and loyalty.

Facebook feels us

In 2012 Facebook also attempted to involve the examination of human emotions in the social media’s strategy, by carrying out an experiment where it screened certain words from 689,003 peoples’ news feed for one week. This disclosure aimed towards seeing how this adaptation would then influence the “participants” of the experiment (it was realized without their knowing) concerning their subsequent posts, “Likes” and reactions. The reactions of the CSR communities however were not positive, mostly criticizing how the experiment had an underlying desirable consumer purchasing behavior.

Meet Ellie, the virtual interviewer, by the USC Institute

Ellie is a human-like machine developed to assist the diagnosis of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, through actual interaction. Substituting the therapist, Ellie “listens” to the patients and detects psychological problems. A job ordinarily assigned to humans has now evolved into a technology involving occupation. What will be the outcome for psychologists and patients over the world? We’ll see.

It looks like technology has invaded in our lives more dynamically than ever. For Sustainability professionals, where should the limit be? For cutting-edge sustainability education on essential sustainability issues, you can take a look at Sustainability Academy’s online courses.

 

The 43rd annual G7 summit was held last week, on May 26 – 27, 2017. The location this year was Taormina in Sicily, Italy. The decision to hold the event in Sicily – and in particular in Taormina was to highlight the capacity to unite hope and hospitality in a single shared effort. The attendees of the 43rd summit included the leaders of the seven G7 member states as well as European Union representatives.

Improving the Conditions for Economic Growth Worldwide through Innovation & Sustainability

The mission of this year’s summit was ‘Building the Foundations of Renewed Trust’. The agenda was based on three fundamental pillars: 1) Citizen Safety; 2) Economic, Environmental and Social Sustainability and the Reduction of Inequalities; 3) Innovation, Skills and Labor in the Age of the next Production Revolution.

Climate Change & the future of the Paris Agreement

With respect to the crucial issue of climate change, the Group of Seven (G7) leaders have said in their final communique that they had failed to bridge differences with US President Donald Trump – and that the U.S.A. was unable to join other countries in committing to the Paris Agreement.

“The United States of America is in the process of reviewing its policies on climate change and on the Paris Agreement and thus is not in a position to join the consensus on these topics,” the communique reads. “Understanding this process, the heads of state and of government of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom and the presidents of the European Council and of the European Commission reaffirm their strong commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement,” it added.

G7 Nations Should Lead the Transition to a Low Carbon Economy

The G7 nations are responsible for 30 percent of coal-generated power worldwide – and as a result they should carry a large share of the responsibility for global greenhouse gas emissions. Talks about long-term growth are futile without taking into consideration the increasing scarcity of resources, which will push up prices and have an impact on the economy. The G7 nations ought to be a model for the necessary transition to a low­-carbon economy.

To read the G7 Taormina Leaders’ Communiqué

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