Citing increased pressure from shareholders, half of the multinationals in a recent study said they expect, in the future, to select their suppliers based upon carbon performance.
The research, commissioned by Carbon Trust Advisory, consisted of phone interviews with 100 organizations that have at least 1,000 employees worldwide. The data shows that: (more…)
Sprint Nextel is now the first wireless carrier to complete and publicly release a comprehensive Scope 3 supply-chain assessment.
As you may recall, emissions are defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative as:
Sprint partnered with Trucost for the analysis, which examines Sprint’s total supply chain carbon emissions and then quantifies and identifies “hot spots” where the company can focus its efforts.
“Measuring and understanding carbon footprints is the first step toward managing and reducing them,” Cary Krosinsky, Trucost senior vice president, said. “Carbon emissions are increasingly resulting in financial costs for companies, and by undertaking such a thorough carbon assessment of its supply chain, Sprint Nextel is taking a major step toward effectively reducing its overall carbon footprint.”
Trucost’s analysis covered 98 percent of Sprint’s supply-chain expenditure, and the report includes these interesting findings: (more…)
What’s the carbon footprint of a gallon of milk?
New guidelines, published last week by the Carbon Trust, in partnership with major dairy processors and the trade associations Dairy UK and DairyCo, will help us learn the answer to that question –and many others from the dairy sector, too.
According to the Carbon Trust, Guidelines for the Carbon Footprinting of Dairy Products in the UK applies the methodology of PAS 2050 to ensure that the dairy sector has a common approach and can focus on reducing emissions rather than discussing the methodology.
“Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt are found in the homes and shopping baskets of most UK consumers, so by working to reduce their carbon impact we can make a real difference,” says Euan Murray, Head of Footprinting at the Carbon Trust. “Building a consistent and accurate footprint is a key step towards managing and reducing carbon emissions and we are pleased to have helped Dairy UK and DairyCo develop sector specific guidance on carbon footprinting.”
Using these guidelines, the dairy sector can calculate a carbon footprint based on these key phases of the dairy product life cycle: (more…)
The French government has launched a major renewable energy investment program targeting emerging clean energy technologies, such as solar, marine and geothermal energy, carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects and advanced biofuel development.
The new program will offer €450m ($572m) in subsidies and a further €900m in low-interest loans to cutting-edge technology projects. About €190m ($241m) will be invested before the end of the year 2010, with €290m set aside over the next 4 years up to 2014. All told, the program, called Démonstrateurs et plates-formes technologiques en énergies renouvelables et décarbonées et chimie verte, will provide €1.35bn ($1.7bn) of financial support to the renewable energy sector over the next four years.
According to analysts, this move may signal a shift in strategies for France, which has traditionally favored more established alternative energy technologies, such as nuclear and wind. (more…)
These days, more and more companies are seeking out ways to measure and reduce their environmental impact. They’re responding to new targets set by in-house sustainability programs, industry guidelines, and impending government mandates –and as a result, they’re creating a market for innovative carbon management services designed to help them meet their goals.
In fact, according to a new report from Pike Research, the global market for carbon management software and services will expand from $384 million in 2009 to more than $4.3 billion by 2017 –that represents a compound annual growth rate of more than 40 percent! (more…)
