Why Does Carbon Management Make Business Sense for Companies

Britons are unlikely to forget the heat wave that casts its spell last October. Reports from the Met Office confirmed that October 2011 was probably the warmest since the last 26 years. As similar such incidents are being recorded throughout the world, environmentalists are demanding for stringent regulations for reporting emissions.

A survey conducted in the UK by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment has found that more than 80 per cent of business professionals want the government to make Green House Gas Emission reporting mandatory. In the UK, there is a mechanism in place for voluntary reporting of carbon emissions, but this is inadequate. They argue that mandatory reporting is sure to pave the way for a significant decline in emissions and also increase profits for them in the long run.

The logic is simple- you cannot reduce weight unless you begin by knowing your current weight. Companies ought to make a straightforward carbon footprint assessment to determine activities create the most emissions and then work towards formulating a commercially viable yet result driven carbon reduction plan.

But why should companies come forward with carbon management, and why should they offset their carbon? There are several instances where companies that have gone ahead with carbon management policies have cut drastically on energy bills. It also helps them to prepare ahead of possible government regulations on carbon management.

Today customers are more likely to question the source of the products. Is the product a result of a harmful effect on the environment? Has the company done enough for the environment? They are more aware of the climate changes and carbon emissions, and are expecting their retailers to contribute to the cause of the environment. When a supplier in the same industry produces a higher carbon emission than another, he is often seen as inefficient. In fact, corporate are starting to base their purchasing decisions on the suppliers carbon management policies. Leading instances of corporate environment responsibility includes companies like Sainsbury, and Hilton. In fact, Sainsbury has managed to save about 81,000 tonnes of carbon, thereby saving about £9 million.

But carbon management is a complex task requiring focus on a whole lot of aspects including supply chains, and needs help from professional companies. For instance, a carbon offset company can help their clients with a clean development mechanism, regulate their carbon credits, and also audit their emissions.

A large number of companies are soon realizing the importance of being proactive and are coming up with comprehensive carbon reduction plans. This is indeed inexpensive and effective when compared to playing catch-up on environmental issues.