Private Sector Carbon Management

By identifying carbon reduction opportunities you can reduce the impact of rising energy costs on your business. Carbon Management can also benefit investor and consumer relationships; after all, two-thirds of people would rather deal with low-carbon companies.

* Lower energy bills and a bigger market share. It’s not just a promise – for some companies it’s already a fact. 52 of the FTSE’s top 100 companies already work with us.

Read about them behind the colour panels opposite – and see how we’re helping to turn some of Britain’s biggest brands into Britain’s cleanest brands. *Source GfK NOP research October 2006.

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The perfect pick-me-up for Britain’s biggest chemist

Boots has over 2,500 stores in the UK and Ireland and an annual energy bill of roughly £30 million.

Boots is aware that being environmentally responsible is an essential part of modern retailing. It also makes financial sense as energy prices soar. Plus, good Carbon Management keeps the company ahead of legislation.

Boots’ Carbon Management is aligned with corporate objectives for CSR, energy and transport. Site surveys identified carbon reduction opportunities and a 5-10 year Carbon Management strategy is in place.

It’s estimated that Boots will save between £1 and £2 million in costs while reducing carbon by over 10,000 tonnes.

Making other banks see green with huge cost savings

In response to investors and customers, Lloyds TSB Group’s Property Management team began working with the Carbon Trust on a Carbon Management project.

Together with the Carbon Trust, they identified significant benefits and developed a strategy that perfectly mirrored their overall business requirements. The Carbon Trust also projected huge savings – potentially 150,000 tonnes of CO2 and £15 million in costs.

The initial investment was estimated at £12.5 million, resulting in a potential payback period of just over three years.
 

Delivering effective carbon management to the UK’s mail service

In 2006, supported by the Carbon Trust, the Royal Mail Group (RMG) set up a Carbon Management programme. It focused on three main areas:

• Reducing energy consumption through efficiency measures and behavioural change
• Using alternative fuels
• Offsetting residual C02 emissions

RMG has reduced carbon emissions by over 14% since 2002. This was achieved by overhauling mail distribution, improving vehicle selection (including the trial of electric vehicles), using double-deck trailers and securing a three-year 100% renewable electricity contract for all UK mainland sites.

And now, with the help of the Carbon Trust, RMG has a sustainability strategy that will take the company to carbon neutrality by 2015.

Trying something new: carbon reduction

Sainsbury’s may be a UK-based supermarket, but their products are sourced from around the globe. As such, they have an active interest in the debate around climate change.

Sainsbury’s has begun a series of programmes to reduce their carbon emissions. They’re sourcing energy responsibly, minimising energy demand and promoting efficient consumption.

As part of this effort, Sainsbury’s worked with the Carbon Trust on a project which highlighted opportunities and resulted in carbon reductions through less energy consumption: electricity use has been cut between 2 and 15% at their sites.

The initial investment was just over £15 million and it’s projected that savings will pay for the scheme within five years.

Toasting success with Spirit

Spirit manages 867 pubs nationwide and is the managed division of Punch Taverns PLC, the UK's leading pub company, with a portfolio of over 8,400 leased, tenanted and managed pubs across the UK.

With energy prices rising, Spirit looked for ways to reduce its energy consumption. In 2007, supported by The Carbon Trust, they began a Carbon Management programme.

An energy efficiency survey revealed savings could easily be made by improving behaviour and implementing low-cost technical solutions. The Carbon Trust also recommended they investigate renewable energy and explore ‘smart metering’.

By carrying out all recommendations, they’re on track to cut 17% from their carbon footprint by 2010, equivalent to over 20,000 tonnes of carbon.