environment
Taking the right steps to reducing
your company’s carbon footprint
‘Carbon footprint’ is a term that everyone 1 Establish your methodology litres and so on. For transport emissions it
is familiar with, but how many of us truly By using an existing and established may be necessary to estimate the total fuel
understand what it means? Sue Gray,
methodology, a company can overcome consumption based on the mileage of the
Environmental Co-ordinator at Headley
the problems associated, particularly within vehicles and fuel economy assumptions.
Brothers, explains how companies in the
a larger company, with having a variety of
print and publishing sectors can both
Once your carbon footprint has been
individuals responsible for the collection and
maximise their green credentials and
calculated, you can plan to reduce it by
interpretation of data. One such methodology
minimise their impact on the environment. using energy more effi ciently. You can also
would be the GHG Protocol produced by
offset carbon emissions in various ways, the
In this day and age environmental awareness
the World Resources Institute (WRI) and
soundest way being through investment in
has arguably never been stronger, but the
the World Business Council for Sustainable
green energy sources with the ultimate goal
demands on making a company ‘greener’
Development (WBCSD), which provides
of becoming carbon neutral.
need to addressed in a focused and targeted
extensive information on corporate emissions
way. The defi nition of ‘Carbon Footprint’
reporting and is available free of charge online How can Headley Brothers help you
given by the Carbon Trust is: ‘The total set of
at www.wbssd.org. to reduce your carbon footprint?
greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and
At Headley Brothers Ltd., we understand
2 Defi ne your boundary
indirectly by an individual, event, organisation,
how we as a company have an important
That is, be clear about which set of emissions
product, expressed as CO
2
e.’
part to play in helping to care for the
will be quantifi ed. It is common practice for
environment and therefore reduce emissions.
In basic terms, carbon footprinting measures
that boundary to include emissions that
That’s why we have been working on energy
the amount of carbon emissions produced
your company controls directly, which would
effi ciency initiatives over the years, including
by the things we do. From fl ying, to driving
include those emitted by subsidiary companies
power factor correction equipment to
our cars, to the things we buy; every one
and leased assets, such as a fl eet of vehicles.
control electricity consumption and reduce
of us leaves a carbon footprint on the
Once you have defi ned your boundary, you fuel overheads and the installation of fast
environment. In total, the Carbon Trust
must then consider what types of emissions action up-and-over doors and strip curtains
estimates that the UK emits 648 million
will be included. You may wish to consider to reduce heat loss. Transport is planned
tonnes of carbon emissions. This means each
whether your calculation will include CO
2
to reduce mileage and all our drivers have
person in the UK can be linked to an average
only or all greenhouse gases; direct emissions been on a course to learn to drive with fuel
of 11 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
from fuel used onsite and from transport, consumption in mind.
Calculating an organisation’s carbon footprint
direct emissions from onsite manufacturing
With digital, sheetfed and web printing
can be an effective tool for ongoing energy
processes, electricity usage, and emissions
facilities, and full fi nishing, fulfi lment and
and environmental management; the
from your supply chain. In addition, you might
mailing services on the one site, Headleys can
footprint can be monitored and managed,
consider emissions that your company is
boost your green credentials by minimising
with the aim of reducing emissions over time.
indirectly responsible for, such as outsourced
the transport usage associated with your
A good start is to understand and quantify
production and transport.
publications. Contact us for a quote for the
the key emissions sources, typically including
3 Collect emissions data and calculate printing of your inserts, outserts, and any
gas, electricity and transport. The accurate
the footprint other printed material associated with your
calculation of a company’s carbon footprint
Through the GHG Protocol, standard titles. This will save you time and effort in
can be a complicated process, and it may
emissions data can be translated into organisation and give you peace of mind that
be advisable to seek professional guidance.
equivalent CO
2
emissions data. For gas and your title won’t be made late by another
However, here is a three-step guide to give
electricity, collect consumption data in MWh fi rm’s failure to deliver your inserts on time
you a helping hand, should you decide to
or kWh. Data for other fuels can be collected – all culminating in the reduction of your
do it yourself.
in a variety of units, for example, kWh, MJ, company’s carbon footprint.
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