The Sustainable Network

The Business of Reducing Carbon

To get ahead of the curve and reduce risks related to climate change, many businesses have started to report their own carbon footprints on a voluntary basis. The content may be contained in corporate sustainability reports, as part of the organization's financial annual reporting, or included in public repositories such as the Carbon Disclosure Project's (CDP) annual report, which houses the world's largest repository of corporate climate change information (www.cdproject.net).

In addition to reporting on their carbon footprints, many leading companies have also set reduction targets around the carbon emissions, implementing a variety of processes and programs designed to create consumption efficiencies. Some of these include using the network in efforts to reduce travel and commuting, as well as achieving general operational efficiencies. Some organizations, such as Google, Yahoo!, and Dell, have announced plans to be carbon-neutral.

Note

Some companies have gone so far as to aim to be carbon-positive. Car service provider Ecoigo says it will offset double the emissions from all its vehicles, as well as the energy consumed by its office. Fiji Water has set a goal of offsetting its total carbon footprint by 120%(www.environmentalleader.com/2009/01/21/eco-generosity-to-make-waves-in-2009/).

So, how is it that companies, which are by nature fairly large in scope and in consumption, are able to make these claims or set these targets?

A business has to make ...