Greentech Lead America: The CarbonNeutral Company, the
verification and certification body, has certified Toshiba Air Conditioning as
a CarbonNeutral business through an intensive program of carbon reduction and
supporting certified carbon offsetting projects.
The project evaluated a detailed assessment of energy consumption and carbon
emissions across all the company’s activities, down to the level of commute
journeys to and from work by employees.
Toshiba believes this is a big achievement for the
company as customers are increasingly concerned about the environment and
corporate responsibility.
The program began last year with a detailed Greenhouse
Gas (GHG) Emissions Assessment to quantify the total greenhouse gases produced
both directly and indirectly by the company’s activities.
The carbon
offsets are validated by the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Gold
Standard, Climate Action Registry (CAR) and the Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM). Third party registries such as APX ensure that the offset credits sold
are retired.
The methodology used was the internationally-recognized
World Business Council for Sustainable Development and World Resources
Institute’s (WBCSD/WRI) Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and
Reporting Standard. This is considered best practice for corporate greenhouse
gas emissions reporting.
Toshiba has partnered with sustainability consultant
Ecometrica to carry out a detailed audit of all its activities. The analysis of
assessment of waste showed that some 57per cent of Toshiba’s waste by weight is
currently recycled and highlighted areas where recycling can be increased in the
future.
Toshiba has purchased carbon credits from The
CarbonNeutral Company, an internationally respected and accredited provider,
The CarbonNeutral Company to support the program.
Toshiba,
Shaw Group and Exelon partner with NET Power
Recently, Toshiba, NET Power, Shaw Group and Exelon
signed an agreement to develop a next-generation thermal power system. The four
companies will support NET Power to commission 25 MW natural gas plant by 2014
and a 250 MW full-scale natural gas commercial plant by 2017.