Tag Archives: Carbon Neutral

News, Storage, Sustainability

Logistics company becomes carbon neutral in a bid to move the industry towards sustainability

Over half of the UK’s largest businesses have committed to eliminating their contribution to carbon emissions by 2050.

Order fulfilment company The Storage Place is flying the flag for the logistics industry as one of the first to become carbon-neutral, cementing British businesses as leaders in moving to a carbon-neutral future.

As part of its Carbon Reduction Plan, the order fulfilment brand has introduced electric vehicles. This follows the UK government’s announcement of petrol and diesel cars being banned from sale after the year 2030 in a bid to reach zero emissions by 2050. The Storage Place has set out its own goals of halving its carbon emission by the year 2030.

Paul Griffiths, Managing Director of The Storage Place, said: “Transport is responsible for 24% of direct carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and naturally, transport is a vital part of order fulfillment for brands. High-quality service for our clients is our fundamental priority and sustainability comes hand-in-hand with this.

“By having an electric delivery fleet, we are contributing to quieter cities and cleaner air as well as lower carbon emissions.”

The Storage Place has also received its carbon-neutral status in response to offering clients the option of eco-friendly packaging.

Paul said: “One of the main issues with non-environmentally friendly packaging is its manufacturing process. Not only is the majority of plastic created by refining crude oil, but the degradation process is similarly harmful. As plastic degrades over hundreds of years, they can also release toxic substances such as bisphenol A, which can disrupt the hormonal systems of animals.

“There are a number of rules that packaging must adhere to in order to be labelled as eco-friendly such as being manufactured using clean production techniques, made from materials which remain non-toxic throughout its lifecycle, and sourced, manufactured, transported and recycled using renewable energy.”

The Storage Place has also previously offered clients the opportunity to offset their carbon footprint through tree planting. Carbon offsetting offers a cost-effective way for businesses to manage their environmental impact, creating a benefit for the planet and supporting Earth’s natural filtration systems. Currently, carbon offsetting projects are based on the conservation of existing forests via companies which businesses can work with to offset carbon emissions. With a range of partnership options available, businesses of all sizes have the opportunity to offset their carbon emissions via tree planting.

For more information, visit www.thestorageplace.co.uk/

Carbon Reduction, News, Sustainability

Clarion Wealth Planning brings forward carbon neutral plans

Clarion Wealth Planning is accelerating its plans to become carbon neutral as part of a new initiative called Best Service, Best Workplace, Best World.

The company had been aiming for carbon neutral status by next April but is now expecting to achieve the milestone by the autumn.

Clarion, which is based in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, is working with Carbon Neutral Britain, an organisation which helps businesses and individuals to offset their environmental footprint and achieve carbon neutral status by investing in renewable energy sources, tree planting and other green schemes worldwide.

Alongside this, Clarion has made electric vehicle ownership more cost effective for staff by introducing a car leasing salary sacrifice scheme. Clarion also plants 10 trees for every new client gained, and has implemented measures to reduce energy usage at its offices.

Founder Ron Walker said: “We are committed to creating better lives for our clients, colleagues and our community. It’s at the very core of our values.

“As part of this, we recently launched our Best Service, Best Workplace, Best World programme, and our goal of becoming carbon neutral by the autumn forms part of this.

“We felt it necessary to stand up and be counted and accelerate our strategy to reduce our carbon footprint. Every step taken to tackle climate change is a positive one.”

Clarion, which has 20 staff, provides lifelong financial planning to business owners and families across the north west and beyond.

As part of its Best World strategy and alongside its green measures, the firm supports the Clarion Welsby Family Foundation charity, which donates to worthy local and national causes and community projects.

The charity has supported the Climb High project, run by Adventures Await, which introduces young people with disabilities from Cheshire and Greater Manchester to indoor climbing, helping to build their confidence and skills to improve their physical and mental health and employability.

Another charity to benefit is Dog A.I.D, which trains family pets to become specialist assistance dogs for their physically disabled owners.

Meanwhile, chartered financial planner Ella Davies has become a mentor to teenage girls on a programme organised by the charity Girls Out Loud.

Clarion has introduced a raft of new employee benefits under its Best Workplace banner, including more flexible working, private medical insurance, a doubling of matched pension contributions, and free gym membership.

Now, following a staff survey seeking suggestions for ways in which the firm could help them develop new personal skills, Clarion is introducing private Spanish and Italian lessons for employees during work time.

Ron said: “We work hard and get on with the job, and do fantastic things as a company for our clients, and we want people to enjoy the journey with us and develop as individuals.

“It’s not all about work or business in our drive to be the best workplace. No-one is under the thumb for 12 hours a day. We treat people as grown-ups and they are able to come and go and work flexibly.

“We see past the 9-5 and recognise the importance of looking after our team. We have good quality people, and we want them to enjoy a good work-life balance.

“As well as being known as the best financial planning practice, we want to be known as the best place to work.

“Our approach is key to ensuring the commitment and loyalty of the people who are here, and helps us to attract recruits of the highest quality.”

Ron added: “In the financial planning world, the service we provide to our clients is unrivalled in terms of depth, quality, and the degree of time and attention we give to them.

“We really work with them to achieve their life goals, and this is the Best Service aspect of our initiative. It’s central to our growth plans, as is the Best Workplace aspect.

“And it’s our responsibility to do what we can for the Best World.”

ESG/CSR, News

Blancco achieves goal of becoming carbon neutral

Global leader in data sanitization affirms commitment to sustainability by achieving carbon neutrality in line with globally accepted standard PAS 2060

LONDON and AUSTIN – June 28, 2022 – Blancco Technology Group (LON: BLTG), the industry standard in data erasure and mobile lifecycle solutions, today announced that it has formally achieved carbon neutral status for 2021, in line with PAS 2060, the globally accepted standard for carbon neutrality. With support from Avieco, a leading sustainability consultancy, Blancco has offset its entire 2021 carbon footprint through investment in two renewable wind energy projects in India.

Over the past six months, Blancco has implemented and executed an effective management plan to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. It then set and achieved carbon intensity targets and purchased 3,622 carbon credits, verified in line with the Verified Carbon Standard, to offset its footprint and work towards its carbon neutrality goal.

Blancco’s efforts have now come to fruition through its investment in wind power projects in India, which will generate clean, low carbon renewable electricity and offset Blancco’s scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions (2021: 3,622 tCO2e). The projects are set to replace emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG’s) estimated to be approximately 498,536 tCO2e per year, displacing electricity from the generation-mix of power plants connected to the Indian grid, which is mainly dominated by thermal/fossil fuel-based power plants.

Not only will the Gujarat project reduce air pollutant emissions as compared with current power generation methods, but it will also generate local employment opportunities related to the construction and operation and contribute to local infrastructure development in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG8 and SDG9).

For the year ahead, Blancco will focus on reducing carbon intensity-based emissions through interim, annual decarbonization targets while monitoring how emissions rebound post-covid travel restrictions. It has calculated three intensity metrics which reflect key emissions drivers: emissions per square meter of office space, emissions per employee and emissions per £1 million revenue.

In addition to the carbon neutral project, Blancco has been working with Avieco on the development of an ESG dashboard that will calculate the carbon footprint of manufacturing a device (laptops, mobiles & tablets) as well as the carbon footprint avoided by preventing devices from entering landfill.

Commenting on the announcement, Adam Moloney, CFO, Blancco, said: “This has been a significant undertaking by the team at Blancco and we are very proud to have achieved carbon neutral status. Sustainability and reducing the impact of the technology industry on our planet is critical. Each year we continue to employ more environmentally sustainable models of practice and offer support for our customers to help them meet with their ESG objectives. We will continue to invest in circular economy initiatives and pursue greater environmental stewardship.”

To understand how Blancco can support your business’s environmental protection efforts, visit: https://www.blancco.com/company/sustainability/

News

The future looks green for Eurofins

The UK’s leader in food and water testing is driving forward with its goal of becoming completely carbon neutral by 2026 thanks to the delivery of its first two electric vehicles.

Eurofins Food and Water Testing UK & Ireland has added the electric variants to its existing nationwide fleet of collection vehicles – the first of many investments which will see the company gradually replace its fuel-operated fleet over the next four years.

Mark Carnaghan, Managing Director, explained: “Our business’s DNA is centred on continuous improvement and innovation, and ensuring that our entire service offering meets the changing needs of our customers.

“The new vehicles will allow us to test and measure capabilities and performance across our South of England collection routes and provide us with valuable insight into any future improvements we can make as we continue to roll out our fleet replacement framework in the years to come.”

As part of Eurofins’ drive to become carbon neutral by 2026, the UK & Ireland food and water businesses have welcomed further significant investment with the opening in late 2021 of two new, high specification sites in Cork and near Heathrow.

“Reducing our impact on the environment forms an important part of our exciting five-year strategy and in enhancing the Eurofins experience for our teams and stakeholders across the country.

“From investment in our labs, to operational workflows, energy usage and electric vehicles, it’s vital that we continue innovating and utilising the latest technologies at our disposal to continue building a business that is fit for the future.”

For more information, visit www.eurofins.co.uk/food-testing.

News

Brighton boosts battery recycling with Re-Volt zero-carbon collection service

The world’s first zero-carbon battery collection service has powered into Brighton, collecting more than two tonnes of batteries for recycling since March.

Valpak’s award-winning Re-Volt scheme, which has already been a success in London and Cambridge, supplies battery boxes to businesses, which are then collected by Zedify couriers free of charge whilst they’re delivering packages across the city. The scheme adds to Valpak’s existing battery service, which collects millions of batteries from over 30,000 UK businesses, including household names such as Sainsburys, Co-op and M&S.

James Nash, Commercial Manager at Valpak, the environmental company behind the scheme, said: “The expansion of the zero-carbon scheme to Brighton is proving beneficial already and we’re urging businesses of all sizes to take advantage of the service. This is a triple-win for businesses – ensuring that batteries are recycled correctly, helping businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and, importantly, making sure that enough batteries are recycled each year to allow retailers to meet their compliance obligations.”

Tom Scruby, National Operations Manager at Zedify, said: “The partnership between Valpak and Zedify has been an unparalleled success, proving that zero emission vehicles complete city centre collections of this type more efficiently than diesel vehicles. We have only received positive feedback from customers and local authorities alike.

“Brighton companies have particularly shown an appetite for more sustainable operating methods. These make the city a better place to live, and also benefits the wider community.”

The scheme initially launched in Cambridge and has generated more than three tonnes of batteries to date. Following such a positive reaction to the world-first scheme, London was next to welcome the zero-carbon collection service. The capital has already collected over 10 tonnes of batteries, with more customers coming online for future collections.

While collection vehicles typically tot up 298kg of CO2 for every mile, Zedify’s bikes emit zero C02, no matter how many journeys they take. They also help to avoid congestion and delays caused by waiting in traffic queues. The scheme has been welcomed by the environmentally-conscious city to help reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

Nash said: “The aim is to include battery removal as an additional service for existing delivery customers. As well as slashing emissions, the scheme helps to attract new sources of waste batteries, which drives greater volumes for recycling.”

In the UK, around 40,000 tonnes of portable batteries were sold in 2018, with only around 18,000 tonnes being recycled.

News

SmartTask takes environmental action with launch of industry-first initiative to offset customers’ carbon footprint

Leading Carbon Neutral workforce management company commits to helping customers reduce carbon footprint

SmartTask, a UK-based developer of cloud workforce management solutions, has been certified a carbon neutral business by Carbon Neutral Britain™.  As well as offsetting its own carbon footprint, SmartTask has made the ground-breaking move to offset the additional footprint generated by its customers’ IT in using the SmartTask solution – believed to be an industry-first initiative.

Paul Ridden CEO of SmartTask explained; “Studies show that there is a growing consumer demand for products and services from businesses that are taking action on climate change. Our mission at SmartTask has long been to build solutions that not only help our customers to operate more efficiently but also that lessen their impact on the planet by reducing the use of paper, improving communications and minimising unnecessary travel.

“Our latest environmental initiative will help our clients to reduce their carbon footprints still further. We believe that we are the first Carbon Neutral Workforce Management platform provider for the security and cleaning/facilities management sector and the first to offer this additional benefit to our customers.”

SmartTask has undertaken a broad package of ongoing measures to reduce its carbon footprint.  These measures include:

  • Additional building insulation and latest specification replacement windows to reduce heat loss and reduce heating requirements
  • Replacement heating and lighting systems with the latest low emissions
  • Providing Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points for staff and replacing all company vehicles with EV or Plug-in Electric Hybrid Vehicles (PEHV).

Ongoing initiatives include:

  • Retiring aging IT equipment to replace with energy efficient equivalents
  • Encouraging the reduction in staff commuting with more flexible working policies
  • Moving to Utility suppliers that generate power from 100% sustainable sources.
  • Solar panels to further reduce requirement for grid-based electricity.

Remaining emissions are being offset by contributions to a portfolio of certified carbon offsetting projects including sustainable energy such as windfarms, hydroelectric and reforestation programmes that are certified to the highest global standards.

Carbon emissions at SmartTask were monitored and calculated during the calendar year January to December 2020 using the ISO 14064 Standard and the GHG Emissions Protocol Accounting Standard – the two largest and most recognised standards for carbon footprint calculation in the world.

Climate, News

Why a step by step process to Net Zero is not enough

Oliver Forster, head of business development at ClimateCare

It’s encouraging to see an ever-increasing number of corporates committing to achieve Net Zero status. However, amidst the rush to publicly declare this intention, there remains some debate and discussion about what constitutes a robust and practical corporate strategy for achieving Net Zero.

When talking to clients, they often say that they are working hard to measure their footprint and set reduction targets, but admit that they are waiting to get this right before they take action to reduce and compensate for their emissions. And certainly, whilst these provisional steps are much needed, setting these long-term targets does little for the environmental damage being done right now. Companies need to take full responsibility for all their emissions produced both today and tomorrow. Our advice therefore is to drive actions simultaneously and at pace, and then modify and adjust moving forward. Put simply, we are up against a deadline to tackle climate change, and there isn’t time to take things one step at a time. Ultimately, it is today’s emissions that are causing tomorrow’s climate change and we need organisations to take full responsibility for their carbon emissions right now.

We need to more than halve emissions by 2030; this is equivalent to reducing the current emissions of China, India, the EU and the US combined. To make this happen, we need to use every tool in the box and do it quickly. And whilst this may seem daunting for many corporates, we cannot stress enough that this is achievable. Not only that, if they do get this right, they could well find themselves at a competitive advantage.

First off, companies will need to understand their current emissions. There are multiple ways to do this and third party companies such as The Carbon Trust can be a great help in getting this detail. Ultimately understanding the footprint is the first step in driving change and by doing this upfront work, companies are raising awareness of the issue internally.

After this these companies can then set targets for reduction that are based on science. The SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative) can help a company set appropriate targets. However, this can take time. And it’s time, that sadly, we just don’t have.

As such, during this time, companies should identify and action quick wins too. For instance, they might put an internal price on carbon to focus minds and drive innovation. They might also source as much of their energy as possible from renewable sources, and they might engage their whole team in making immediate reductions and in developing plans for systematic change to reach their reduction targets. All of these are great mechanisms to drive change and raise awareness.

In addition, companies can also consider developing low carbon products or business models. These can help turn climate change from a risk into a competitive business strategy. A recent survey by B Lab UK and ReGenerate revealed that 72% of the UK population believe business have a legal responsibility to the planet and people, alongside maximising profits. As such, we can be sure that it does make real business sense to do this and can make the difference between a consumer buying from a brand or not. And actually, it can also make the difference between a great candidate deciding to work for a company and a firm retaining great talent.

We would contend that offsetting shouldn’t be the final tick on the checklist. Instead we would suggest that firms can take responsibility right away by offsetting their current carbon emissions, whilst they put plans in place for reduction.

For companies to go Climate Neutral by offsetting all emissions through high quality, independently verified carbon reduction (avoidance and removal) projects, is an important component in the journey to Net Zero. It’s something every business can do today. And it’s the only way a company can take full responsibility for its current carbon footprint. This is because going Climate Neutral today compensates for a company’s existing carbon footprint immediately. This status should then be maintained whilst the firm takes steps to reduce its emissions as close to zero as possible, in line with a SBT. In time the size of that company’s footprint will reduce and the amount they need to compensate for will reduce. The organisation will become Net Zero when it reaches its science-based carbon reduction target and compensates for all its remaining emissions. They could then even go as far to work towards becoming carbon negative and take even more of a competitive share.

In going Climate Neutral today, companies can take immediate action right now, whilst they set themselves on course to meet their longer-term Net Zero target. Avoiding the climate catastrophe is not a step by step process, rather it’s a whole host of actions that need to be taken both simultaneously and immediately.