Achilles: Businesses Across The Globe Paying ‘Lip Service' To Reducing Carbon Footprint

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

 

Businesses across the globe have claimed that reducing carbon is going to become a bigger priority in 2015, but most are not taking basic steps to make it happen, new research shows.

In a market survey, 63% of infrastructure and manufacturing firms across the UK, USA and Canada, Spain, The Nordics and Brazil, said they would sharpen their focus on reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption this year.

But half of these companies admitted they do not have a company-wide programme to record and monitor their own emissions and energy use.

Do you have a company-wide programme to monitor/record your carbon emissions and energy use?

    Yes   No   Don’t Know  
Global   50%   39%   11%  
   
USA   37%   60%   3%  
Brazil   43%   50%   7%  
Nordics   47%   46%   7%  
Spain   49%   38%   13%  
UK   59%   25%   16%  

Further, globally, less than one in five of the companies (16%) monitor emissions from their main suppliers – many of which would be directly involved with energy-intensive contracts such as concrete pours, drilling oil wells or procuring thousands of tonnes of steel.

Global - Do you monitor main suppliers’ carbon emissions?

    Yes   No   Don’t Know  
Global   16%   75%   9%  
   
USA   7%   93%   0%  
Nordics   14%   83%   3%  
Brazil   15%   77%   8%  
UK   19%   70%   11%  
Spain   22%   60%   18%  

The research was commissioned by global supplier information firm Achilles and carried out by independent research company IFF, which carried out telephone interviews with supply chain professionals from 300 large businesses in the construction and engineering; oil and gas, mining and cement, power and utilities and manufacturing sectors.

It comes as members of the United Nations prepare to submit proposals on how they will help develop an international climate change agreement aimed at reducing emissions up until 2030. All countries are half way through a programme to reduce emissions by 20% by 2020.

Achilles manages a series of online communities across the world which allow multiple buying organisations from the same industry to work together to collect, manage and update compliance, due diligence and carbon information about their suppliers. Achilles also runs CEMARS (Certified Emissions Measurement And Reduction Scheme) in the UK. It allows companies to measure their greenhouse gas emissions, put in place reduction plans and gain independent certifications.

Adrian Chamberlain, Chief Executive of Achilles, said: “It’s impossible for businesses to reduce their carbon footprint unless they measure and monitor emissions within their own organisations and their supply chains.

“In our experience, most large businesses are only motivated to tackle carbon emissions when it’s mandated by clients as part of the tendering process.

“At a time of rapidly increasing energy bills, cutting carbon and cutting costs are not mutually exclusive – they are naturally compatible.

“The smartest firms can make sustainable cost savings and protect ever-tightening margins by cutting carbon and cost through the life cycle of projects.”


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