Our Services: Information

We offer a wide range of technical advice and compliance services. These will underpin your climate change management plan and help you comply with legislation.

Carbon footprints

A carbon footprint quantifies the greenhouse gas emissions arising from the activities of your business. First, an appropriate scope and boundary is defined. Emission sources include energy (for example electricity, gas, oil and renewables), travel (vehicles, air travel and public transport), refrigerants and waste. The three major greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) are included, along with refrigerants and process-related gases. Appropriate protocols and guidance (including the World Business Council for Sustainable Development / World Resources Institute, the Carbon Trust and Defra) are used.

Our clients receive a clear report with a breakdown of emissions, graphs, definitions, assumptions and recommendations for carbon reduction.

Carbon Trust Standard

The Carbon Trust Standard is an independently defined and monitored standard for carbon reduction.

The Carbon Trust Standard certifies that an organisation has genuinely reduced its carbon footprint and is committed to making further reductions year on year.

Your business or organisation may apply to have its carbon reduction activities assessed against the Standard.

Climate Futures is an independent assessor to the Carbon Trust Standard.

Carbon Reduction Commitment

The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) will require between 5000-6000 UK businesses and organisations to measure and report their carbon emissions from October 2009. It will include a diverse group of businesses and organisations, such as banks, hotels, cinemas and local authorities.

The costs of compliance will rise as the scheme develops. Participants will be incentivised to reduce their energy consumption through rebates and a publicly-available ‘league table’.

Timing is critical to ensure cost-effective compliance and minimising reputational risk.

Climate Futures will help your business assess its exposure under the CRC. We will calculate the potential liability or opportunity it represents to you, and make recommendations on your best compliance options. We will assess your carbon reduction options, and their costs, and recommendations for investment in efficiency measures.

Events and tourism

Event organisers are coming under increasing eco-pressure from audiences and backers. There is an inherent environmental dilemma in tourism - it is critical to the economy, but damage from travel and venues contributes to the decline of beautiful areas which people come to see. 

Every event organiser has a choice about how the eco-rating of venues used, transport, food & drink, giveaways, and offset of climate damaging CO2.

Climate Futures offers a diagnostic service - assessing the environmental footprint of your event (see diagnostic report, below) and comparing it against others. We will develop an eco-plan for your event and practical recommendations for improvement.

Carbon neutral

Going carbon neutral by supporting carbon offset projects is a complementary step beyond a carbon reduction programme. It is a powerful way of engaging staff and customers with the climate agenda, demonstrating best practice and enhancing your brand.

Carbon offsetting is a fast-moving and relatively new approach, and standards and procedures are under development. This means accurate and well-presented communication is imperative.

Climate Futures will give you independent advice on carbon offset options and help you communicate your carbon neutral programme in a balanced and justifiable way.  Click here for clients.

Benchmarking

A carbon benchmark is a comparison of your greenhouse emissions against other businesses, including your sector (where data are available).

A benchmark is useful in planning a competitive strategy and setting carbon reduction targets. It also helps in developing positioning statements and deciding on types and extent of communication.

Energy consumption in your buildings, business travel and commuting emissions may be considered. Emissions may be normalised against headcount or turnover to give an indicator relative to size. Click here for case study.