Microsoft first technology company to achieve Carbon standard.

Microsoft UK has become one of the first technology companies to achieve the Carbon Trust standard, which requires companies to measure and reduce their carbon footprint.

The voluntary standard does not require companies to hit a certain target, but to show that they have proactively measured and reduced their carbon footprint and will continue to do so. The company has reduced its carbon footprint by 7% compared to the 2007 figure it is using as a baseline. It wants to shrink it by 30% by 2012.

"Getting the standard has really helped us understand our footprint," said Darren Strange, head of environmental sustainability at Microsoft UK. "There is a financial incentive as well, as it reduces costs."

The standard also helps the company to save money on its carbon reduction commitment, which requires companies over a certain size to measure their carbon footprint and pay £12 per tonne. Some will then be able to apply for a rebate, depending on how well they can demonstrate their efforts to reduce it.

Strange said Microsoft UK has made cuts so far by reducing business travel, with executives using unified communications and video conferencing instead. Next the company is looking to reduce the number of buildings it runs by making more efficient use of space, and cut electricity use.

He added, "We don't see this as the end of it, but it shows we are on the right track."

For more visit www.computerweekly.com

Lib Dems thinking Green!

The Lib Dems have big plans to rebuild the battered national economy in a darker shade of green.

This would include redistributing £3.1bn of public spending currently 'wasted' to fund offshore wind energy, energy efficiency in buildings and a scheme to bring quarter of a million empty homes back into use.

The plan includes the widely-reported intention of converting ailing shipyards to manufacture wind turbines and to offer cash back to home owners investing in measures to improve the energy efficiency of their properties.

Schools will also be offered interest-free loans to improve their energy performance in a move portrayed as protecting budgets meant for learning from being spent on meeting the obligations of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC).

For the full article and more visit www.edie.net

CRC needs to be amended according to FoE

An environmental organisation has called for aspects of the government's Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC EES) to be adapted.

Friends of the Earth (FoE) has said that the plans fail to differentiate between companies and councils which could be deemed unfair.

David Powell, economic campaigner for FoE, said: "Its right to require both the public and private sector to cut their emissions, but expecting councils to compete with companies for carbon credits is wrong in principle and wrong in practice."

However, the scheme has the potential to cut carbon emissions in the UK substantially.

Launched last week (April 1st) the CRC EES could reduce carbon dioxide emissions from homes and businesses by at least 34 per cent on 1990 levels by 2020.

Energy efficiency measures and products, as yet unused by many businesses, are the cornerstone of the plans, which it is hoped will have the additional benefit of saving public and private sector organisations around £1 billion a year.

For more info visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

80% Carbon reduction possible

Cutting Europe's carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 is possible, but the continent must eradicate carbon-emitting power generation.

This is the conclusion of a new report by the European Climate Foundation, which states that an 80 percent cut on 1990 levels would require a move to an almost zero-carbon power supply.

In the short term, the cost of implementing these policies would be higher than conducting business as usual, but over the longer term it would not lead to higher energy prices, the document stated.

Matt Philips, a spokesman for the European Climate Foundation, said: "When the Roadmap 2050 project began it was assumed that high-renewable energy scenarios would be too unstable to provide sufficient reliability."

It was also thought that they would be uneconomic and that major breakthroughs in technology would be needed to move in this direction.

"Roadmap 2050 has found all of these assertions to be untrue," he said.

According to data from the European Commission, carbon emissions from companies covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme fell by 11.2 percent last year.

For more info and article visit
http://www.lowcarboneconomy.com/community_content/_low_carbon_news/9268/80_percent_cuts_in_carbon_emissions_possible

Large Businesses have priority in Climate Change

Small businesses do not believe they have as significant a role to play in reducing carbon emissions as households, big business and the public sector, research from energy supplier npower has found.

The annual Business Energy Index survey asked 200 small firms how they rated their influence in cutting carbon emissions. On average they ranked their importance at 5.1 out of a maximum score of 10. They rated households' importance at 6.8, large businesses' at 7.7 and the public sector's at 8.1.

The research also highlighted that 97 per cent of small firms said reducing costs was more of a priority than reducing emissions. In addition, 52 per cent said the economic climate was reducing their ability to reduce their carbon footprint - up from 47 per cent a year ago.

"As we come out of recession it's no surprise that businesses are relegating emission reduction in favour of managing costs, but it's important that they do not ignore the importance of reducing carbon in the long term," said npower Energy Services spokesman, David Titterton.

The British Chambers of Commerce's senior policy adviser, Gareth Elliott, said the survey results had to be tempered by the fact that we're just coming out of recession.

"Many small businesses are doing something to assist in reducing their emissions, even though they're doing it while trying to reduce their bottom lines," he said. "Our Reconnecting Britain survey, published this month, found that seven out of ten chamber members introduced energy efficiency measures in the past 12 months.

"We would urge the Carbon Trust to refocus on small businesses," added Elliott. "Currently it's very focused on large businesses, but they already have many of the skills and knowledge in-house. Small businesses have limited knowledge and resources and they need help and assistance.

"Small changes are important," he said. "As much as people laugh at things such as turning off light and computer monitors, collectively they can make a big difference."

For more info and the original article visit The Law Donut

President Obama urged to give consumers energy info

President Obama has been urged by a group of almost 50 US organisations, including Google, to give homes and businesses access to timely information on their energy use.

Studies and experience show that when people have access to direct feedback on their electricity use they can achieve substantial energy savings through simple behavioral changes. In the U.S., for example, a 15% reduction in electricity consumption by 2020 represents greenhouse gas savings equivalent to 35 million cars off the road, saving consumers $46 billion on energy bills or $360 per customer per year.

Of course this is taking place in America, but even here in the UK, we can see the savings that could be made, and it is good to see an attempt at making homes and businesses more aware of their energy use.