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Collaborating to cut carbon and costs: raising ambitions to county-level  

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Sometimes we need to join forces to realise our ambitions. Suffolk County Council and Carbon Smart have been helping local businesses to identify cost and carbon savings they could never have achieved on their own – by working with their neighbours to form local energy networks.

A local energy network (sometimes called a district network) is one where heat or power is provided to multiple buildings or sites from one central source. The ‘local’ or ‘district’ network is a decentralised system meaning that the heat or power is produced close to where it is used, rather than through a large power station and transported through the National Grid, thus reduces transmission losses and lowers carbon emissions. Often such schemes include renewable energy or low carbon technologies such as solar panels or CHP (combined heat and power) plant.

Carbon Smart have been working with Suffolk for over two years, and this recent project forms the latest initiative to help the County reach its ambition of being the greenest county. To date they have supported businesses to increase their energy efficiency, generate their own power through renewable energy systems and are now trying to maximise savings opportunities through energy networks. For the businesses involved joining together for a network should bring increased resilience and security of supply, a revenue stream, more competitive energy prices and reduced emissions.

Carbon Smart have mapped the county identifying suitable sites for energy networks and we now have 5 projects moving forward including:

  • Maximising the value one site gets from their solar panels, with benefits like giving neighbouring businesses the opportunity to buy local, green electricity while relieving pressure on the local grid.
  • For another a CHP system will provide power to two light manufacturing sites who will share the benefit
  • We’re also working with the landlords of an industrial estate to explore all options for their mixed-use site – reviewing options energy efficiency and clean energy to supply their tenant businesses. Options include solar, biomass boilers or ground/air source heat pumps.

None of these projects would be feasible for an individual business, due to the scale of the systems, however by joining forces and working with neighbours, these larger scale, higher impact projects can become a reality.

By supporting initiatives like this, Suffolk County Council can enable many more carbon-cutting projects than any single business could undertake. Carbon Smart have seen many local business leaders catching the vision for cutting costs and carbon, and go on to access support and investment that would not have been possible without such a coordinated, scoping approach. Councils have the power to have a real impact when it comes to developing cleaner energy in their area and we hope that thanks to available funding and regional coordination, they seize it.

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What makes for a good carbon reduction target?  

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In a post COP21 world where organisations will be expected to contribute to the global greenhouse gas reduction effort, the importance of setting effective targets is more crucial than ever. The EU has a target to reduce its carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. How did they come up with that number, and how do they go about reaching it? How do organisations reconcile their own targets with that greater ambition?

Organisations often struggle to understand how they can ensure they get their targets right. Taking external factors into account, how can they understand why they are on track or not and how do they transparently communicate progress?

With all those questions in mind, the Carbon Smart team is currently examining leading UK organisations, to determine what constitutes a robust target and communication approach, and ranking their sustainability statements against a defined framework.

If you are interested in participating in this research as a stakeholder or would like to learn more about the outcome, get in touch with [email protected]

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New circular economy package will mean changes for businesses  

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What is a circular economy?

Circular economy, as opposed to linear economy, tries to optimise usage of materials and resources to minimise the amount of loss throughout their life cycle. It can include ecodesign, industrial symbiosis, recycling and reuse, collaborative economy, new business models, etc.

Circular economy is a great opportunity to reduce emissions and costs, create jobs and develop innovation and technology, as well as reduce raw materials scarcity. In 2014 the EU published a package of targets and measures to develop a circular economy across Europe. This original package was scrapped with the promise that a more ambitious one would follow.

The new circular economy package, released in early December 2015, has disappointingly less teeth than its predecessor in terms of targets: the municipal waste recycling target has gone from 70% to 65% by 2030 and the commitment to reduce food waste by 30% between 2017 and 2025 has been removed altogether. A comparison of the two packages also shows potentially 110,000 fewer jobs will be created.

There is some good news: the new package wants to prevent programmed obsolescence of products – a topic that wasn’t tackled by the previous one. It also encourages more reuse of products like electrical appliances, textiles and furniture. Despite these new adjustments, it is a shame to see that a year of reflection has mellowed the Commission rather than spurred it to greater action.

But how will it affect business across the EU over the next few years?

Product-selling companies will no doubt need to adapt to forthcoming legislation in certain areas like packaging: in its timetable of actions, the Commission included measures on improved date marking on products (to be taken forward in 2017), increased recycling targets for packaging materials as set out in revised waste proposals, action on false green claims (to be taken forward in 2016), and product environmental footprints to communicate environmental information (to be taken forward in 2016 onwards).

The actual products themselves could be required to change, with plans for the substitution of hazardous substances support for SMEs (to be taken forward in 2018), increased recycled content in products and an independent testing programme on planned obsolescence (to be taken forward in 2018).

The package also calls for new incentives and requirements for Member States to provide economic instruments like taxation, so product prices reflect environmental costs.

Despite some disappointing figures, the package still represents a great opportunity for businesses and sets out funding that should help with the transition, and support new projects to come off the ground: important research and innovation funding will become available and the Cohesion Policy funds will provide support to improve production processes, product design and SMEs.

The package will now be reviewed by the European Parliament and European Council along with other legislative proposals to amend the Directive on Waste, Directive on Landfill, Directive on Packaging Waste and Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment to reach an agreement over the course of the next year. It is still possible – and to be hoped – that the European Parliament will call for more ambitious measures in its review.

Read the official communication on the EU’s webpage: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/index_en.htm

Sources:
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/dec/03/eu-circular-economy-plan-waste-targets-weak-critics

http://www.euractiv.com/sections/sustainable-dev/circular-economy-package-waste-job-opportunities-320134

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ESOS: Environment Agency says do as much as you can before 5 December  

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Two months away from the deadline, a large number of companies still haven’t gone through the steps to compliance with ESOS, and many face the risk of not hitting the deadline on 5 December.

A project manager at the Environment Agency stated in reply to a query sent by Enistic that ‘Where an organisation has done something rather than nothing before the deadline then this is obviously going to be more favourable to their case when we are reviewing it. We would recommend that organisations do as much as they can before the deadline even if they know they will not be in a position to comply fully by 5 December’.

In light of this comment, businesses that haven’t started complying should look into appointing a Lead Assessor and going through the first stages of measuring their energy consumption sooner rather than later to have, at the very least, initiated something before the deadline comes.

For those companies that have already clicked the ‘submit’ button, it’s a good time to think about how to reap the benefits of the compliance exercise. Now that you know how much energy your company consumes and how it could improve, there are different ways you can make the most of this information. We can help with implementation of recommendations, managing your data on an ongoing basis for future compliance or reducing other environmental impacts in your organisation like waste and water. Get in touch with us to discuss the possibilities and start a plan for the new year.

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ESOS compliance is more straightforward with the Greenstone-Carbon Smart partnership  

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Since the announcement of our strategic partnership in March, Greenstone and Carbon Smart have assisted a growing number of organisations with reporting under the UK’s Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS). The joint ESOS proposition has ensured consistent end-to-end ESOS compliance for both organisations’ clients.

ESOS is a mandatory energy audit compliance scheme set up by the UK government requiring qualifying organisations to measure and audit the total energy usage across all buildings, transport and industrial activities. By 5 December 2015, qualifying organisations are required to have carried out their ESOS assessments and notified the Environment Agency.

Using ESOS dashboards, Greenstone Enterprise software users are able to define what needs to be measured under the scheme and prepare data before an energy audit. Carbon Smart’s approved Lead Assessors then carry out the practical energy audits required under ESOS, compile the required energy audit report and associated evidence pack and register compliance on behalf of organisations with the Environment Agency. Once an audit has been carried out, Greenstone users can manage their data on an ongoing basis, manage their energy saving opportunities, set targets, analyse data outputs and store evidence to prepare for future reporting.

Matthew de Villiers, CEO at Greenstone comments ‘Through this partnership we have been able to provide our clients with a seamless ESOS reporting service. We are delighted to have partnered with Carbon Smart who have extensive experience in energy audits and bring in the expertise necessary to enhance our capabilities in this area.’

Julie Craig, Principal Consultant at Carbon Smart comments ‘Developing this partnership has made the compliance exercise more straightforward for our clients. Greenstone’s software makes collecting the energy data much easier for clients and provides us with a solid set of numbers that we can base our energy audits and evidence packs on. It make the whole process quicker and more economic for clients that need to comply.’

 

ESOS Compliance steps – Click here to find out how Carbon Smart and Greenstone can help you

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CDP: another type of reporting you shouldn’t overlook  

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Whilst most annual reports are now done and dusted, it is time for another kind of reporting to take place.

If you are a large company that wants to be credible when it comes to environmental commitment and credentials,CDP is the key to access green leadership and you should be thinking about completing their climate change questionnaire before their deadline in June – if haven’t done so already.

CDP, the sustainability disclosure scheme covering areas such as climate change, water and forests, has become the most respected way for companies to measure their environmental impact year on year. Over 4,500 companies across more than 80 countries report to CDP every year, including 71% of FTSE 350 – and a large majority of those choose to make their responses publicly available. Through its climate change questionnaire, CDP assesses the transparency, accountability as well as the measurement and management of companies’ environmental impacts and gives them a score based on their level of disclosure and performance. Top companies are listed in the Climate Disclosure Leadership Index and Climate Performance Leadership Index.

But actually hitting those high scores can seem like a bit of a challenge. There are a few tricks to answer the questions right and provide CDP with the information they are looking for. Whether you have never replied to the questionnaire before or you are looking for ways to improve previous performances, boosting your score is possible, even for this year with the deadline fast approaching.

Here a few tips to find your way to a top score:

  • Engage your compliance, legal and/or financial teams when it comes to reviewing your company’s approach to risks and opportunities
  • Review score responses from top companies in your sector to draw a few lessons
  • Make sure you link emissions reductions you achieved to specific activities that contributed to these reductions
  • Focus your attention on sections that represent a high percentage of the total score
  • If it’s not your first time, get feedback – the CDP team can provide you with comments about your past responses.

Achieving a higher score is possible and within reach if you follow these tips alongside a few others.

If you have any further questions after reading our SmartPaper, get in touch with Miruna at [email protected].

 

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Look out for the Heat Network Regulations this year  

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Heat suppliers should be on the lookout this year for a little-known piece of legislation – the heat network regulations.

Heat suppliers for communal heating/cooling networks such as sheltered housing, halls of residence or rented accommodation with a shared source of heat, have until the 30th December to take action under the new Heat Network Regulations. Shopping centres and hotels with sub-let space like fitness centres or restaurants may also be caught.

They must provide information about their communal heating/cooling networks to the National Measurement Office. Supply that is part of a package or a service charge is also covered by this new legislation.

With the reporting deadline only weeks away, heat suppliers need to check whether they fall within scope and to gather the relevant information if they do. Failure to do so before the deadline will lead to penalty fines.

If you think this may apply to you, or if you’re not sure, get in touch and we will help you to get it right.

Find out more information about the Heat Network Regulations in our SmartPaper.

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BP forecast a 25% increase in carbon emissions over the next 20 years  

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At the same time that we hear of record levels of electricity generation from wind in the UK we read BP’s rather gloomy latest energy outlook.

BP are forecasting a doubling of the world economy over the next twenty years with a rise in energy demand of nearly 40%. If two thirds of this demand is met through fossil fuel based generation, as BP predict, then we have no chance of sticking to the path recommended by climate scientists to give us a 50% chance of only seeing a 2°C rise in temperatures.

The solution remains the same – we must work to significantly cut our use of energy and energy intense resources. This is particularly true in the west, where CO2 emissions are many times higher per person than in the developing world.

The UK has committed to reduce emissions by 80% against 1990 levels and every business in the UK has a role to play in achieving this. Carbon Smart believe that with careful management, effective engagement and modest investment we can all make substantial cuts to the impact we have on the climate.

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UK political party leaders commit to action on climate change  

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Last week we witnessed an unexpected development in the run-up to the general elections in May: a cross-party pledge to tackle climate change. David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg warn that climate change is not only a threat to the environment, but also security, prosperity and poverty eradication and promise to fight together against the threats of the changing climate.

The party leaders have committed to seeking fair, strong and legally binding targets and to put an end to the use of unabated coal power. In effect, this means that if we were to continue the use of coal, measures would be put in place to remove the resulting emissions from the atmosphere, such as being captured and stored in rock formations. The message is clear: by securing our energy supply and curbing climate change impacts, we have a better chance at securing economic and social stability and prosperity.

The political party leaders pledge:

  • to seek a fair, strong, legally binding, global climate deal which limits temperature rises to less than 2°C
  • to work together, across party lines, to agree carbon budgets in accordance with the Climate Change Act
  • to accelerate the transition to a competitive, energy efficient low carbon economy and to end the use of unabated coal for power generation

The surprising political cohesion on climate change has been welcomed by businesses that have often criticised the lack of political leadership on climate change and the low carbon economy. Indeed, this political unity inspires confidence in the investment of low carbon technologies, because regardless of the outcome of this year’s elections, tackling climate change will be on the political agenda of three largest political parties.

The pledge comes a few months before the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) held in November this year with the objective of setting a legally binding agreement on climate for all nations. Whether Cameron, Miliband or Clegg take the lead, the UK will be seeking to find a strong binding global climate deal.

The timing is right – official figures from the National Grid show that wind energy broke new records in January for weekly, monthly and half-hourly generation, compounding the message that we are now more than ever ready to invest in a low carbon future.

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Wind energy breaks UK records in January  

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We are very pleased to see that official figures from National Grid show that wind energy broke new records for weekly, monthly and half-hourly generation, highlighting the central role wind plays in the energy mix.

In January, wind provided 14% of Britain’s electricity (4.13TWh), making it the most productive month ever – enough to power the equivalent of 8.7 million UK homes. The weekly record was broken in January with 1.119 GWh generated, and the half hourly record was exceeded on the 2nd of January when wind supplied 31% of Britain’s electricity demand. The news came as overall UK wind capacity topped 12GW for the first time, a milestone for the country – enough to supply nearly 7 million households annually.

Whilst renewable energy is a fundamental element of our nation’s and indeed the world’s path to a low carbon future, reducing the amount of energy we all need to maintain our quality of life, run our businesses and provide services is just as vital if we are to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

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Britain’s climate is changing: what is your business doing to stop it?  

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More than ever, reducing our energy consumption and our carbon footprint is essential to mitigate the very real effects of climate change. 2014 has been the hottest and the second wettest in Britain for a century according to the Met Office and sadly, it isn’t just a one-off: the seven warmest years since the records started were all after 2000, showing that average temperatures are rising and pointing to climate change as the cause.

This doesn’t simply mean buying fewer jumpers and more umbrellas – the changes in weather are bound to have dire consequences in terms of floods and heat waves. The damages caused by a flood like the one Britain experienced in 2007 can be very costly, and droughts put vulnerable people at risk.

Reducing these risks is everyone’s responsibility and businesses have their own role to play. Having an effective environmental strategy isn’t simply an opportunity to get ahead of the crowd anymore; it is a no-brainer to prevent costly risks down the line. So, is your business doing everything it can?

 

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UN Climate Change Summit: Private sector demonstrate leadership on carbon pricing  

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The UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon’s Climate Change Summit, held last month in New York, aimed to catalyse climate action in preparation for next year’s Conference of the Parties, which has the objective of setting a new global agreement in 2015. The New York Summit acted as a platform where world leaders in government, private sector and civil society came together to announce and share their own climate related targets in order to inspire progress. Achieving resilient economies that provide clean yet affordable solutions to climate change was at the heart of the conference. It is thus not surprising that the private sector should be involved, yet it is worth noting that its presence is a very recent development in the history of UN environmental talks.

This year however, the UN Private Sector Forum formed an integral part of the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit. Organised by the UN Global Compact in close cooperation with the World Bank Group and with the support of UN partners, the Private Sector Forum provided a unique platform for governments and businesses to demonstrate their leadership on climate change. The theme of the 2014 Private Forum was carbon pricing, with a focus on what private and public sectors must achieve in order to ascertain fair and equitable valuation of carbon through strategies, policies and investment. Carbon pricing mechanisms such as emissions trading systems and carbon taxes are becoming more prevalent and now cover 12% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. The World Bank estimates they are used in almost 40 countries and more than 20 cities, states and provinces, and this number continues to grow: eight new markets opened in 2013 and one in early 2014, which brings the total value of the world’s emissions trading schemes to US$30 billion approximately (approximately £19 billion).

Where does the private sector fit in all that?

Businesses are developing their use of carbon pricing and leading the way ahead of governments despite the absence of a regulatory framework. The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) found that already 150 companies who report to the CDP are also using carbon pricing. It is used internally as a means of strategic planning to identify revenue opportunities and possible risks and as a way of creating an incentive for increased energy efficiency. The assumption is that climate change will be both a cost and an opportunity for businesses and a lot of them expect the creation of a regulatory framework eventually.

How do organisations set a carbon price?

The United Nations Private Sector Forum outlines three simple steps to setting an internal carbon price:

  1. “Measure CO2 emissions of existing operations and project CO2 emissions in investment decisions;
  2. Put a price on these emissions, so they have a financial value; and
  3. They ensure that the internal carbon price is set high enough to motivate the company to reduce emissions and increase share of low-carbon investments.”

At what price have organisations been valuing carbon?

Presently, prices vary dramatically from US$6 to US$60 (approximately £4 to £37) per tonne of CO2e. The fact that these prices are far above market trends in the EU and UK shows that organisations are truly taking the matter seriously and have greenhouse gas emissions reductions as a real and acknowledged objective. However, we still have a long way to go. According to the International Energy Agency’s numbers, this range is too low if we are to halve global emissions by 2050. Indeed, their recommended price to achieve those results is US$175 per tonne of CO2 (approximately £109); triple the amount that is currently set by the most ambitious businesses.

Faced with those discrepancies, we can only hope improved results will stem from the commitments endorsed at the Climate Summit in September. By the end of the summit, 1000 companies and more than 70 countries made the pledge that they would endorse the creation of mechanisms that truly reflect the costs of emissions. These encouraging statements demonstrate governments’ and the private sector’s will to keep moving in the right direction. About 30 companies, including Unilever, EDF and BT Group have also agreed to set internal carbon prices that would be high enough to have an effect on investment decisions under the Caring for Climate UN initiative. Are we witnessing the beginning of a growing trend?

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Government commits to buying locally-sourced food to help cut waste  

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In an attempt to reduce food waste, Prime Minister David Cameron announced that from 2017 all of central Government will commit to buying fresh, locally sourced, seasonal food: promising that “all food that can be bought locally will be bought locally”.

This will be done through a new, simplified food and drink buying standard: ‘The Plan for Public Procurement’. Public sector buyers will judge suppliers based on their environmental credentials and will look closely at the resource efficiency of food production, such as water and energy use and waste production and recycling. This makes it an exciting prospect for businesses that are focussed on minimising their environmental impact.

Not only will it directly benefit environmentally responsible businesses, according to Defra, it will further benefit rural economies and the British public. Defra has estimated that the standard will equate to around £200m of potential new business for British farmers.

Liz Truss, the recently appointed Environment Secretary stated that; “This move will mean that food served in canteens across the public sector can be more local, seasonal and tastier… it will help drive Britain’s first class food and drink industry and benefit the environment through reduced waste, higher take-up of meals and less unappetising food left on plates”.

In addition, the wider public sector will be encouraged and supported in using the new framework with the expectation that all schools and hospitals will, in future, serve more locally reared meats and freshly picked fruit and vegetables.

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Less is more – international perspectives on office recycling  

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Over the summer Carbon Smart has been working with a multi-national technology company, conducting waste audits at both their London and Zurich offices. Having analysed the waste management systems at these two different locations within the same company, it has been particularly interesting to observe the impact of national recycling policy and practices on office recycling rates.

Switzerland’s recycling policy focuses on the collection of aluminium cans and PET plastic bottles. These materials are all collected as separate streams, and within the office each material has its own designated bin. All other materials are collected as general waste and sent for incineration. In the UK on the other hand recyclables include, on top of those listed above, tetra packs and cardboard packaging, and up to 7 types of plastics, from yogurt pots to film wrapping. In the London offices these are all collected together as mixed recycling in one single bin and separated at a recycling plant.

Initially it seemed surprising that Switzerland – a country with such a good reputation for environmental management – only recycled a comparatively limited set of materials. However, once we dug deeper into the make-up of the waste, it became apparent that the Swiss strategy is actually very effective. While you might assume that being able to recycle a wider range of materials, and the convenience of just one bin for placing all recycling, would result in higher recycling rates and less contamination, in practice the opposite was true. In London the recycling and general waste were at times almost indistinguishable with considerable amounts of recyclable material going to incineration and considerable amounts of non-recyclable material contaminating the recycling. In Zurich, however, there was hardly any plastic or aluminium in the general waste, and virtually no contamination of the recycling streams at all.

While providing one bin for all recycling makes life easy, it can also be confusing with users of the scheme unclear about what is actually recyclable and what is not. Having a mixed recycling approach may also promote an attitude of indifference. Providing separate bins for each material as they do in Zurich, communicates the message that separation is important and places the responsibility for good recycling with the person doing the throwing away. Whereas with mixed recycling, because people know it will be sorted at a waste centre anyway, their part in the process is felt to be less significant and they may be more care less about what and where they throw their waste. In terms of designing both recycling policy and internal waste management systems it is great to be able to get these international perspectives and test our assumptions, as in practice with waste things are not always as you might expect.

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A northwestern safari  

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Popular North-West animal conservation and visitor attraction Knowsley Safari Park is embarking on a new study to quantify and better understand its environmental performance. The study is an important first step in supporting the Park to develop a long-term strategy that will place sustainability at the centre of its operations and plans for development. The Park will be transformed into a pioneering conservation and visitor attraction, which continues to have a positive influence on its visitors through its conservation and preservation ethos. The Park’s Operations Director approached Carbon Smart to complete the important first phase of work that will lay the foundations for the strategy.

This began with a detailed examination of resource consumption including a carbon footprint calculation, providing the Park with an important measure of their highest impact areas affecting sustainability performance. Analysis was supported by onsite visits that identified areas of the Park with high resource-use; recommendations were then provided including practical actions to reduce resource-use and advice on how to remove barriers to implementing these.

The detailed study resulted in the identification of priority action areas and long term strategic recommendations, such as the opportunity to generate renewable energy from animal waste. The onsite visits also identified a number of quick win, resource optimisation recommendations, which are predicted to save the Park over £50,000 and 140 tonnes of CO2e annually. These recommendations included the introduction of water savings devices in the toilets, improved heating and hot water controls and the replacement of disposal crockery and utensils in the restaurant.

Carbon Smart is looking forward to the next phase of work with the Park, to support the implementation of those recommendations identified in the study and the development of a sustainability strategy.

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Are your sustainability and facilities teams talking to each other?  

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talking to each otherSustainability is a buzz word that organisations are keen to act in the name of, but as a real concept that spans improvements to environmental, social and financial impacts; many struggle to achieve tangible results. A sustainability team may be devoted to positively impacting their organisations’ sustainability performance, but do so in isolation from the rest of the organisation. If this is the case, sustainability initiatives are often treated as one-off activities rather than a recurring component of a core strategy that is linked to future prosperity of the business, incorporating all its business functions.

Carbon Smart believe it is key for sustainability teams to understand the subtleties of how an organisation works, what the key driving factors for it are and how decisions are made in order to create a tangible impact and realise the full business benefits of sustainability initiatives.

The answer to how sustainability can be positioned in this way lies in good coordination across business functions. Engaging different business operations and taking the time to understand the role that each of them plays provides insight, and enables greater facilitation and implementation of sustainability measures. Integrating sustainability with processes within facilities, for example, provides the opportunity to pool resources which delivers business benefits such as cost, carbon and resource savings.

One of our clients, a leading insurance organisation, has won a prestigious internal award for its integrated approach to sustainability, as a result of the communication that exists between its sustainability and facilities teams. Here, an environmental working group coordinated by the sustainability team brings together representatives from the property services team as well as the external FM team to develop key initiatives that will benefit each area of the business.

Initiatives are put forward by members of property services, CSR teams, green champions and other members of staff. These are discussed at environmental working group meetings and initiatives to reduce carbon impact, resource consumption or drive behaviour change in staff, are defined as objectives. Ambitious but achievable targets are also set to implement these, and responsibilities are assigned to a member of staff for each particular objective. These are then summarised in an action plan to be able to continuously monitor progress and maintain momentum.

As a result of this approach, the client has realised a range of business benefits while furthering its sustainability performance. Among these are exceptional recycling rates, which have delivered cost savings, carbon savings and improved resource efficiency. The approach has provided a system which has improved the efficiency with which waste is handled on site, and expanded the range of materials that can be recycled. Collections have been streamlined, transport emissions have been reduced and these improvements have synchronously reduced the carbon impact.

By taking the time to understand the drivers for the business and establish strong lines of communication across facilities and other functions of the business, tangible improvements are realised across a wide range of sustainability metrics. This demonstrates the potential for success a sustainability strategy can bring about, when it is integrated with other business functions.

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Carbon Smart delivers low carbon technology feasibility studies  

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biomassCarbon Smart has delivered two exciting feasibility studies for a large client.

The first study looked to replace an existing oil fired heating system with alternative new biomass boilers. This served to displace the use of fossil fuels, contributing to organisational carbon saving targets, with the aim of also achieving cost savings.

A number of factors were considered including:

  • practicality of the proposed new system;
  • recommendations on fuel type and system size;
  • costs of system and installation;
  • identifying local fuel suppliers;
  • cost benefit analysis including the Renewable Heat Incentive; and
  • environmental benefits in tonnes of CO2e saved.

Recommendations from the study were used to influence the decision making process for the provision of new boilers on site.

The second study explored the practicality and cost implications of installing an on-site anaerobic digester or composter, to dispose of the organic fraction of the site’s waste. Macerating and dewatering technologies were also considered.

These technologies are suitable for larger clients that have on-site catering facilities such as government estates and large corporate businesses, as well as organisations with high volumes of kitchen food waste that might have a need for a soil improver or compost on their grounds.

In this study, Carbon Smart investigated the suitability of the proposed technologies including: the costs and practicality of installing such systems, sizing the equipment, the environmental benefits, the installation requirements, limitations and approximate costs; as well as relevant legislation and the potential use of by-products.

Quite often clients need to convince their board or senior management team of the costs and benefits of implementing sustainable technologies. As well as understanding whether it is actually practical and effective for on site use. Particularly those with:

  • catering facilities;
  • high volumes of organic waste;
  • high heating bills; and
  • high electricity usage.

If you are looking to put a proposal to your board or management team to influence the decision making process, then we can help you analyse the costs and benefits of your proposal by undertaking similar feasibility studies for various sustainability technology options and scenarios.

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Manchester Metropolitan University save £40,000 in procurement and disposal costs  

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manchestermetThe Carbon Smart Manchester team has been working with WRAP to support Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) in their shift towards more efficient resource use.

Carbon Smart have been working closely with the university’s facilities management department to identify the key opportunities for resource efficiency and the key barriers.

Office furniture was highlighted due to the high annual spend on new furniture. It was found that there was significant potential to improve resource efficiency through redeployment of furniture that is no longer needed in a particular area.

Since the completion of the resource optimisation review, in March 2013, MMU have implemented the main recommendation from the report – to develop an internal furniture reuse programme. It is anticipated that this project will divert a significant amount of the 30 tonnes per year of office furniture currently disposed offsite for internal reuse, with the programme predicted to save the University over £40,000 in procurement and disposal costs and around 90 tonnes of CO2e.

For further details please contact [email protected]

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Rise up from the rubbish  

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wasteThis year marked the 10th anniversary of national recycling week and there’s more attention than ever on capturing the valuable materials being lost to landfill. According to Waste Resource Action Programme (WRAP), a staggering £2.4 billion-worth of materials has been collected by local authority recycling schemes in the last 10 years.

With improvements in technology and reprocessing infrastructure, greater value can be recaptured from waste materials. As landfill costs increase, tightening legal environment requirements and increased public and corporate expectation, there hasn’t been a better time to recycle more! We’ll be the first to admit that rummaging through waste isn’t glamorous, but there are multiple benefits of conducting a waste audit. Carbon Smart believes that there are three main reasons why organisations should carry out a waste audit;

1. Cost savings

There are considerable savings to be made from diverting recyclable material away from general waste. On average it costs 60% less for every bag of recycling compared to landfill. A waste audit highlights the potential for simple cost reductions.

2. Do you really know what’s in your waste?

Facilities, catering and cleaning teams are often unaware of what their general waste consists of and unintentionally claim to be performing better than the reality. There are numerous quick wins that can improve waste infrastructure and result in greater recycling uptake by staff. Getting an expert review can offer support and guidance that perhaps your teams had overlooked.

3. Waste data and reporting

Data collected during a waste audit can help your organisation to identify ways to reduce waste and enhance its recycling efforts. It also provides baseline performance data to monitor and compare improvements and set targets going forward.

What to expect from a waste audit

Carbon Smart’s team of waste management consultants have delivered waste audits and assessments for over 100 organisations across the UK. We are able to tailor our approach for single or multiple tenants, internal facilities management and building owners across multiple sites. We deliver our waste audits using a three phase approach;

– Waste assessment

– Waste audit

– Evaluation, report and feedback

We believe that this approach provides full transparency to clients about their waste performance.

One of the principal intentions of our waste audits is to offer simple solutions to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill and passing on the cost savings to you. Our costs are competitive and our approach employs measures to address the fundamental issues of effective waste management.

‘We were pleased with all aspects of the audit, and were impressed with the pre planning process, the way in which the audit itself was conducted and especially pleased with the format of the audit reporting and advice provided. I would have little hesitation in recommending Carbon Smart to other potential clients who are considering implementing a similar process.’

Chris Fincham
Purchasing Manager
British Medical Association

Rummage through to savings!
By providing real data, we can support you to monitor progress and set targets for improvements. We have conducted follow up audits for several clients to quantify progress as a result of our recommendations. Alternatively we can provide the resources for clients to conduct internal mini audits to ensure they are keeping on track.

As part of the package we can provide additional services to deliver training to staff on correct waste management procedures. The feedback from these sessions has been positive and the savings as a result have been substantial.

‘As a result of the waste audit we were able to issue both an individual report to those occupiers that participated and a collective report to all the occupiers highlighting our recommendations that would help improve the efficiency of our recycling systems and reduce levels of waste contamination, the engagement and participation from our occupiers as a result of this process has greatly increased as have our recycling initiatives.’

Eddie Prado
Cleaning Services Manager
Broadgate Estates