==== Guest Commentary ====
The second half of today’s event was kicked off by Simon Palinkas of the Green IT Group at Tesco. If ever there was a blueprint for CO2 emission reduction Tesco is a good place to start. Palinkas outlined Tesco’s ‘absolute commitment’ to carbon reduction with three ‘strands’ starting simply with leading by example.
Beyond its own four walls, Tesco is also focused on working with partners and suppliers to help drive down the carbon footprint of the products sold within its stores. The final element of its strategy is leading a revolution in green consumption by encouraging its customers to reduce their own carbon footprint, too.
David Metcalfe, CEO of Verdantix also joined the discussion in the second half of the event today. He talked about how many organisations are still dealing with the basics – finding a way to accurately measure their carbon footprint. In many instances methods are still rudimentary, most commonly, 75 percent focus on calculations from their utility bills, while 63 percent rely on complex spreadsheets. In addition, 44 percent consolidate this data only annually, so it’s nowhere near a real-time view.
The biggest challenges to carbon emission measurement for most are still basic, said Metcalfe. Organisations are wrestling with data collection and accuracy and are a long way from enacting business change and accurate emission forecasting, which will be essential for CRC compliance.
Metcalfe also said the recession has created a short term view of carbon reduction, with many organisations focused heavily on money saving rather than long term energy efficiency. He warned that organisations need by now to have confidence in their data quality now otherwise they will not be in a strong position to audit and measure within CRC deadlines. In his words, “green is a whole business strategy.”
The event’s closing message was simple. The leaders are creating a ‘single version of the carbon truth’ so that they are prepared for long term green business transformation, and with the CRC looming, the masses need to follow suit.
- Geoff Kelly