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Issue No. 19 Contents
7 September 2007

. News Update

- Farming report from the Environment Agency; green mobile recharger to go on the market; 'Volkswagen Forest' offsetting scheme launches; European Supply Chain Institute strategies for managing carbon emissions.

. Q&A - Interview with a low carbon leader:

- Tom Burke, Environmental Policy Advisor to Rio Tinto, Founder Director of E3G and Senior Advisor to the Foreign Secretary's Special Representative on Climate Change.

. Network case studies - best practice and lessons learned:

- Home energy monitoring: IndeedNET
- Lessons from An Energy Services Company Co-op: Renew
- Re-using Waste Wood: Kronospan
- Producing A CSR Report: Pennon Group

. Best Practice Tips - easy ways to reduce carbon:

- Everyday advice from the experts on saving energy.

About a quarter of farmers now recycle or recover non-natural waste and serious pollution incidents caused by farming fell by 35 per cent last year to the lowest on record, according to an Environment Agency report published this week. Tackling pollution and better management of agricultural waste should be the priorities from now on, says 'Putting the brakes on climate change:'
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk

A mobile phone recharger that stops using power as soon as handsets are fully charged is to go on the market next month from European mobile phone and services company Carphone Warehouse. Some 95% of energy used by all mobile phone chargers is wasted and unplugging chargers could save consumers £60 million a year and cut CO2 emissions by 250,000 tonnes:
http://www.cpwplc.com/

Vehicle manufacturers Volkswagen has set up a scheme in the US to offset emissions from their vehicles by growing a forest. From 1 September until 2 January 2008 the company will plant a tree in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, or Volkswagen Forest, for every vehicle sold, aiming to plant more than a quarter of a million native trees in total. The project is run in partnership with the non-profit Carbonfund.org, which supports projects to reduce carbon dioxide emissions:
http://www.vw.com/

The European Supply Chain Institute has launched a research and recommendation programme - The Supply Chain Carbon Council - aiming to develop strategies for more effective management of carbon emissions in the supply chain.
http://www.escinst.org/

The Low Carbon Innovation Network and Enterprise Events Ltd. cannot be held liable for the content of external websites.

Tom Burke is Environmental Policy Adviser, Rio Tinto, a global exploration company that mines and processes minerals. He is also a Visiting Professor at Imperial and University Colleges, London and a Founder Director of E3G based at the Science Museum in London. Tom is Chairman of the Independent Review of Environmental Governance in Northern Ireland, a Senior Advisor to the Foreign Secretary's Special Representative on Climate Change, a former member of the Council of English Nature and during 2002 he served as an advisor to the Central Policy Group in the Deputy Prime Minister's Office. He was Special Adviser to three Secretaries of State for the Environment from 1991-97 after serving as Director of the Green Alliance from 1982-91 and Friends of the Earth from 1975-79.

What projects are you currently working on?

"I am currently spending a lot of time on climate change - particularly on ensuring that the only real test of a government's climate policy is its answer to the question how much, on what, by when. To avoid dangerous climate change we need to complete the transition to a low carbon economy by the middle of the century. This goal cannot be achieved without significant public expenditure on the technology transition.

"Governments are currently putting far too much reliance on establishing a price for carbon and hoping the magic of the market will somehow reduce emissions. They need to be thinking much more seriously about setting higher technical standards and providing investment incentives to ensure their very rapid take-up.

"Preventing dangerous climate change means making the global energy system carbon neutral by 2050. We have the technology to do this but it will not be deployed in time unless we are willing to invest in building a low carbon economy."

What is your personal, proudest "green" achievement?

" - Building the first bridges between the environmental community and the business world in Britain. When I was at the Green Alliance in the early eighties I set up a dialogue between the NGOs and the pesticides industry and we also published a pamphlet on business ethics with the Institute of Business Ethics which was one of the first publications to set out the terms for more corporate responsibility on the environment."

What are the key ingredients of a successful low carbon initiative in any sector?

" - Money. Low carbon technology is more expensive than carbon intensive technology. The sooner we start paying for its rapid deployment, the faster those costs will fall."

What are the biggest challenges you face in your roles and how do you deal with them?

" - Getting people to focus on the hard choices that need to be made if we are to avoid dangerous climate change; endlessly patient repetition. Burke's fifth law of politics says that if a thing is worth saying it is worth saying again and again and again…….."

Are current Government targets realistic in your view?

"The targets are perfectly realistic if not sufficiently ambitious to avoid dangerous climate change. What is not realistic is the current policy suite which is far too timid.

"To get the rest of the world to do what needs to be done in terms of low carbon technology by the middle of the century, we need to be showing clearly in the next decade that we are making that transition. That will need much more aggressive policies than are currently on display to increase energy efficiency, deploy wind and solar power and make all our fossil fuel generated electricity from power stations with carbon sequestration and storage."

What in your opinion is the most viable, long term, sustainable energy solution?

"Energy efficiency gives you the biggest and fastest bang for your buck, but coal is going to be burned so we need to get carbon sequestration widely deployed very rapidly and people are going to go on moving so we need to move to hybrid drives for vehicles equally quickly."

How do you encourage the public and staff to become more environmentally conscious in an organisation?

"We do what we see other people doing, so the important thing is to get going. Leave the 'hardest nuts' alone - they are at the margins of society. Let's focus on the majority who mostly want to do what is right and let's work at mobilising what Abraham Lincoln called their 'better angels.'"

What emerging trends do you predict in the realm of carbon reduction and sustainability?

"The emerging trend is actually to fiddle while Rome burns, unfortunately. We are far too easily distracted by negotiating text and facile economic theories and far too feeble when it comes to taking action."

What advice would you give to someone starting out in a similar role to yours?

"Colin Powell was absolutely right when he said that there is no limit to what you can achieve if you are willing to let others take the credit."


Please send any questions you have for future "Q&A" interviewees to: Mel Poluck, Editor at: mel@carbon-innovation.com .


Home energy monitoring: IndeedNET

The domestic energy bill of an ordinary family household in the UK including electricity, gas and water, is almost half their food costs. Now a home energy monitoring system currently under development at Loughborough University aims to address the cost and the harmful emissions that this domestic energy incurs.

Read the full story on the Forum here

Lessons from An Energy Services Company Co-op: Renew

The founding of Renew, a recently formed co-operative Energy Services Company (ESCO), was triggered by a report from the Sustainable Development Commission published last year tantalisingly called, 'I will if you will.'

Read the full story on the Forum here

Re-using Waste Wood: Kronospan

Five years ago, the timber buyers at wood manufacturers Kronospan decided to use waste wood as their main resource, in an attempt to cut their energy costs.

Read the full story on the Forum here

Producing a CSR Report: Pennon Group

As more and more organisations are initiating the production of CSR reports to show their commitment to social, corporate and environmental issues, we spoke to the Pennon Group about the production of their latest Document.

Read the full story on the Forum here

 



The Low Carbon Innovation Exchange is the physical meeting for members of the Network.

These unique networking events are designed to help members progress their own plans for carbon reduction initiatives and include: pre-arranged one-on-one meeting opportunities; a programme of member-led roundtable discussion groups, workshops and tabletop presentations, together with an Innovations Showcase.

The next Exchange event takes place on 24th October 2007 at the Harrogate International Centre. New sessions recently added onto the Exchange programme include:

Working to improve your company's eco-positioning
Nick Coad, Head of Group Environmental Strategy, National Express Group plc

Experience from carbon labelling initiatives
Andrew Jenkins, Sustainable Development Manager for Products, Alliance Boots plc

Stamp Down your carbon footprint … opportunities to reduce emissions in the IT department
Facilitator: Tony Rooke, Environmental Champion, LogicaCMG

Providing training on different levels within the community … from supplier to buyer
Facilitator: Caroline Gregory, Climate Change Officer, Hartlepool Borough Council

Working with the Carbon Trust: Carbon Management Programme
Facilitator: Dr Johannes Waltz, Stakeholder Strategy Manager, Pfizer

Cutting carbon emissions through sustainable procurement at Land Securities
Facilitator: Clive Dedman, Head of Procurement, Land Securities

Strategy Discussion Group: Carbon Offsetting - mitigating what's left
Facilitator: Adrian Rimmer, Director, Eco-Markets, ABN AMRO

Co2 Emissions reduction - Policy driven or Technology driven?
Facilitator: Tom Denton, Manager of Environmental and Social Affairs, Toyota (GB) PLC

Cut Carbon, Change Habits
Facilitator: Willy Hoedeman, Project Manager, University of York Business

Planning for the Impacts of Climate Change
Led by: Dr Keith Whitehead, Environmental Policy Advisor, British Safety Council

Biomass Implementation Plan for Barnsley MBC - waste wood to carbon savings
Facilitator Jeff Evans, Sustainability Group Leader, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (Winner of the Ashton Awards 2006)

Packaging minimisation controls
Facilitator: Katherine Veal, Business Manager, Leatherhead Food International

Supporting a selection of communities as they reduce CO2
Facilitator: Michele Burrow, Environmental Co-ordinator, Cheshire County Council

How to achieve habit change at work
Facilitator: Bob Simpson, Head of Sustainability, Asda

Saving money and mileage with staff training and bio fuel
Facilitator: Graham Telfer, Fleet Manager, Gateshead Council

Experiences of a low cost airline
Facilitator: Steve Parrott, Director of Health, Safety and Environment, Flybe

Installing heating and Lighting Controls
Facilitator: Robert Jones, Energy Manager, Denbighshire County Council

Strategy Discussion Group: Sustainable procurement policies
Facilitator: Rene De Sousa, Senior Procurement Specialist, Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply

Developing a Carbon Management Plan in Local Government
Facilitator: Ian Weller, Energy Manager, Sefton MB Council

Opportunities from Regional Energy Distribution
Facilitators: Dave Openshaw, Head of Engineering Regulatory Strategy, EDF Energy Networks and John Best, Chief Executive, EEEGR (East of England Energy Group)

Utilising an on Site Resource - Constructing a Wind Turbine
Facilitator: Bill Thain, Environment Manager, Mackies Ice Cream

Durham County Council's Renewable Energy Strategy
Facilitator: Jeff Kirton, Energy Manager, Durham County Council

What really goes into waste?
Facilitator: John Downie, Group Manager, Communisis plc

Saving the Cost of Electrical Standby; Cutting Consumption by Installing Telepanels
Facilitator: Simon Lingard, Carbon Reduction Officer, North Norfolk District Council

An auditing tool to assess your organisation's environmental impacts
Facilitator: Dr Keith Whitehead, Environmental Policy Advisor, British Safety Council


Three ways to become involved:

1. Propose a case study: All members of the Network who have implemented carbon reduction initiatives within their own organisation are invited to propose a case study for inclusion in the programme of discussion groups. All case studies accepted into the programme will qualify for a complimentary place at the Exchange. Please send brief details to: john@carbon-innovation.com

2. Join the Innovations Showcase: If you represent a company providing products and services that can help others reduce their carbon emissions, there are exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities that you might like to consider. For details of the options available, please send an email to sponsorship@carbon-innovation.com

3. Register to participate: Members of the Low Carbon Innovation Network receive a 25% discount on the cost of participation. To view the testimonials from past participants and to book your place at the next Exchange, please click here

Best Practice Tips

Please visit the Forum here and share a tip that you have for organisations to reduce their carbon emissions. Often the very simplest ideas can have the greatest effect:

Do you have colleagues that might be interested in receiving the Bulletin?

As the size of the Network grows, the opportunities to share best practice just get better!

So please encourage others to enrol on this free-to-join Network, for example other climate change champions and those with energy, sustainability, environment, fleet management, information technology, infrastructure development or corporate responsibility remits.

Please forward a copy of this Bulletin to all you think might be interested.

New members can register for the Bulletin here

We are always grateful to receive any comments or feedback that you have with regards to the Bulletin, the Forum, the Exchange or the Network in general.

We would also like to hear from you if you have a case study for the Bulletin or have a topic that you would like to discuss at a future Best Practice Exchange.

Please email any comments or suggestions to mel@carbon-innovation.com


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