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Carbon footprint and findings for the Carbon Smart® Silver Certification

National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) February 2013

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Contents 1 Introduction and background ............................................................................................................... 3 2 Carbon Smart Certification features ..................................................................................................... 4 3 Carbon footprint and findings ............................................................................................................... 5

3.1 Carbon footprint by activity ......................................................................................................... 6

4 Observations and action plan ............................................................................................................... 7 5 Carbon footprint reduction target ...................................................................................................... 10 6 Appendix ............................................................................................................................................. 11

6.1 Carbon footprint methodology ................................................................................................. 11

6.2 Scope, boundary and data collected ......................................................................................... 11

6.3 Data Quality Criteria and Guidance ........................................................................................... 11

6.4 Terminology ............................................................................................................................... 14

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1 Introduction and background

The Carbon Smart Certification recognises and promotes organisations of all types and sizes that have taken

clear practical action to reduce their impact on the environment. Achieving the certification standard will help

NCVO Vol to take comprehensive, effective action to reduce its carbon footprint, integrate carbon and energy

management into the organisation and communicate this positive work to staff and stakeholders.

The report provides the following information:

Quantification of your carbon footprint and identification of the major sources of emissions

Visualisation of your carbon footprint and potential cost savings from taking action

Overview of potential carbon reduction actions

Carbon footprint methodology

Following your successful participation in the certification programme you will be certified as Carbon Smart

Silver.

Organisation name

National Council for

Voluntary

Organisations (NCVO)

Organisation address

Society Building

London

N1 9RL

Number of staff 95

Total treated floor area (m2) 2,322.6

Table 1: Organisation details

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2 Carbon Smart Certification features

Carbon Smart certification recognises the practical actions and decisions that an organisation has taken to

reduce its impact on the environment. Carbon Smart certified organisations have a strong clear message to

communicate – they have taken the right steps to tackle their carbon footprint. There are three levels to

Carbon Smart Certification: Carbon Smart® Blue, Carbon Smart® Silver, and Carbon Smart® Gold. Each level has

differing levels of commitment and action. The table below summarises their individual features:

Table 2: Carbon Smart certification features

This report is for the Carbon Smart Silver Certification.

Features Commit to act Deliver savings Show leadership

Internationally compliant carbon footprint

Carbon Smart workshop to develop an action plan and expand green marketing knowledge

Carbon Smart completion pack with certificate, artwork and communication guidance

Entry onto the online Carbon Smart register and use of the Carbon Smart logo on marketing materials

Technological and staff engagement support to achieve y ear - on - year carbon savings in line with your target

Support and guidance in engaging stakeholders externally

Assistance in developing exceptional environmental actions (e.g. priority investment opportunities, data management, EMS)

Robust environmental policy to use in

tenders and present to clients and staff

Help to drive environmental policy down into other

management policies (fleet, procurement, training etc)

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3 Carbon footprint and findings

The carbon footprint for NCVO Vol was calculated as 184.9 tonnes CO2e for the reporting period 21/10/11 to

21/10/12.

Activity Tonnes CO2e % of total Data Quality

Scope 2 Electricity 164.6 89.0%

Scope 3 Rail 0.1 0.0%

Paper 17.5 9.5%

Taxis 0.5 0.3%

Water 2.2 1.2%

Total 184.9 100%

Table 3: Total emissions broken down by activity

Included in the table is a data quality rating based on the accuracy of the data supplied. The rating system

works on a three tiered traffic light system with green representing good quality data, orange representing

average quality data and red representing poor quality data. The quality of your data is very important as you

cannot manage what you cannot properly measure. Higher quality data provides a more accurate carbon

footprint and so we encourage all our clients to improve their data quality as they work through the Carbon

Smart Certification Programme. Table 4 shows the data quality rating system.

Good quality data Primary data sources have been used. Data completeness and accuracy is high

Average data quality Mixed primary and secondary data sources. Limited extrapolation with average completeness and accuracy

Poor data quality High levels of estimation and benchmarking. Poor completeness and accuracy

Table 4: Data quality rating system

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3.1 Carbon footprint by activity

Chart 1 shows the CO2e emissions by activity. NCVO Vol should focus their effort on the largest segments of the

pie which contribute the most to their carbon footprint.

Chart 1:CO2e emissions (%) by activity

Electricity89.0%

Paper9.5%

Taxis0.3%

Water1.2%

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4 Observations and action plan

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO Vol) is a public sector organisation providing

information and advice services to the charity sector. It champions and strengthens the voluntary sector: by

making sure Government knows its true value, and making sure it can continue to do what it does best. NCVO

Vol has already taken many steps to consider its environmental impact and has a programme in place to

manage an array of them. Highlights include a complete overhaul of their energy system following the

refurbishment of their building, a procurement policy that incorporates sustainability, a comprehensive

environmental policy and action plan and extensive provisions for recycling. NCVO Vol has been awarded

Carbon Smart silver certification as a result of their efforts.

Area Observations Recommendations

Data collection

NCVO Vol has calculated a carbon footprint once in the past but there is no system in place for continual measurement year on year. NCVO Vol is keen to re-establish a procedure for capturing information on carbon emissions. A record of meter readings is kept to monitor energy, train travel data is available for half the year and data for taxis use is kept.

Carbon Smart has proposed to re-baseline the carbon footprint now extensive works on the building infrastructure have been completed. To improve the accuracy of the carbon footprint, data collection should be expanded to ensure key impacts are being measured. As a priority, data on air travel should be collected. The accuracy of the data collected should also improve. To achieve this, ensure that data collected spans a whole 12 month period as this will prevent estimates having to be made.

Waste and recycling

Waste is diverted from landfill and a comprehensive recycling system is in place that meets best practice standards. Waste streams are separated at source and a full range of provisions are in place that mean everything from plastic to furniture, tins to IT equipment are disposed of responsibly. The full range of materials recycled composes of:

cans

toner cartridges

cooking oil

cardboard

paper

glass

plastic bottles

leftover food

The recycling services on site are extensive and it is apparent that NCVO Vol has invested considerably in the system. There is an opportunity to promote what has been done further. Recycling rates could be added to the achievement section of the environmental policy and the fact that all waste is diverted from landfill should also be highlighted. A waste audit could also be undertaken to establish current recycling rates and understand if any changes need to be made to the system and whether there is scope to increase recycling rates. This can be discussed further if it is of interest.

Procurement

This is an area in which NCVO Vol are strong and have made a number of commitments. Extensive work with its supply chain has been done to ensure

Publicise the procurement policy in place and extend to give all suppliers guidance on the requirements they need to meet. Advertise the work that has been done and

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environmental considerations are included in the procurement of goods and services. Examples include a green taxi service, a green cleaning firm, use of fair-trade suppliers and a green energy supplier.

the policies by which NCVO abides prominently to strengthen the message.

Management

A set of environmental policies and action plans are in place which detail objectives.

Ensure objectives and policies remain updated. Increase the impact of objectives by including specific targets on environmental action – e.g. a carbon reduction target so that stakeholders are aware of the extent of the work NCVO Vol are doing in the area. The importance of carbon reduction could be made more prominent by putting a plan in place. Consider putting an environmental management system accreditation in place. One such system that is most appropriate for offices is the ISO50001. This provides a framework to:

Develop a policy for more efficient use of

energy

Fix targets and objectives to meet the

policy

Use data to better understand and make

decisions about energy use

Measure the results

Review how well the policy works, and

Continually improve energy management.

Paper

At present paper consumption is monitored but the bulk of paper consumed is not 100% recycled.

Consider improving the environmental credentials of the paper. One recommended brand is ‘Image’; a high quality 100% recycled paper.

Energy

The refurbishment that has taken place has made the building more energy efficient and features have been put in place to ensure energy is not being wasted when equipment is not being utilised. For example, PC’s, Printers & Vending Machine timers and programmes have been fitted to automatically turn off when not in use overnight.

Integrate this work into NCVO Vol’s communication strategy and include consumption figures and targets for reduction in the management action plan.

Staff engagement

Significant investment has been made to make the building more energy efficient yet the full potential for efficiency will be

Educate staff to make them aware of the measures that have been taken to increase the efficiency of the building. Make them

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constrained if staff aren’t on board and aware of the part they have to play in maintaining an energy efficient building.

aware of the part they have to play by explaining their role in realising the potential for efficiency. Provide signage and advice in the form of ‘switch off stickers’ next to light switches and keep them informed to maintain momentum and awareness on this issue.

Environmental Policy

An environmental policy is in place covering the broad range of initiatives NCVO Vol has undertaken, the year’s objectives and a signature by a responsible person.

The environmental policy can further be strengthened by putting specific targets in place that demonstrate the extent to which the environmental aims of the organisation are being implemented. Update the policy to make sure the environmental achievements from 2012 and the aims for 2013 are visible to stakeholders.

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5 Carbon footprint reduction target Setting a carbon reduction target is important as it will give NCVO Vol something to aim for over the coming

year. The target should reflect what is feasible for the organisation given financial and resource constraints.

Since organisations are constantly changing depending on external factors such as economic climate and staff

turnover it is likely that your carbon footprint will fluctuate. To make your target robust, Carbon Smart suggests

you take the following steps:

Use a relative measure for your carbon footprint target: To ensure you take into account business

fluctuations in economic activity and staff numbers, you can divide your carbon footprint by staff

numbers or by revenue to get a relative figure

Choose a target that is ambitious yet achievable: Carbon Smart benchmark targets are 5-8% in the

first year and 15% by the third year based on relative figures.

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6 Appendix

6.1 Carbon footprint methodology Carbon Smart follows the Green House Gas (GHG) Protocol produced by the World Resources Institute

(WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). This methodology

provides detailed guidance on emissions reporting.

This assessment was based on the ‘operational boundary’ principle, i.e. the emissions associated with

operations directly influenced by your company.

The classification method used to group GHG emissions, by the level of control an organisation has over

them are categorised into three main types of GHG classes:

Direct emissions, scope 1: Are those which result from fossil fuels burned directly by the

business, such as boiler gas, Air Conditioning refrigerant gas, or fuel in company vehicles/fleets.

Indirect emissions, scope 2: These are from imported electricity i.e. power stations to run

heating, lighting, electrical equipment within the building.

Other indirect emissions, scope 3: Are from products and services such as the emissions from

the consumption of water, waste, business travel, paper etc. The boundaries of this scope are

agreed with the organisation and the general rule is to include what a business can quantify,

monitor and influence.

6.2 Scope, boundary and data collected The operational boundary1 was set for the activities carried out at your business.

Where possible and relevant the following activities have been included:

Scope 1: n/a

Scope 2: Electricity

Scope 3: Paper stationery, Water, National/International Rail, Taxis The following were excluded from the carbon footprint calculation:

Staff commute travel

Non paper stationery

Off-site staff / partner events

6.3 Data Quality Criteria and Guidance Data quality is an important part of the carbon footprint calculation process. The higher quality the data

submitted, the more accurate and meaningful carbon footprint calculations can become. It is also true

that resource use that cannot accurately be measured, cannot accurately be managed, so collecting

1 The operational boundary includes emissions controlled by the organisation and emissions arising from their

operations.

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robust data is very important. This is probably quite an obvious statement, but a lot of organisations do

not currently collect or monitor their energy and resource consumption at all.

There are three important aspects to data quality that we take into account when we calculate your

operational carbon emissions.

1. Source – the consumption figures you have been able to supply and where they came from e.g.

kWh consumption of electricity from meter readings

Spend on fuel from receipts for a company car.

2. Completeness – the time period your data considers and the coverage within the business, e.g.

Natural gas data for one whole year, for two floors of a two storey building

Natural gas data for three months for one floor.

3. Accuracy – the confidence you have in your data i.e. are these figures 100% accurate, estimates, or

unknown?

Carbon Smart rates each individual piece of information you provide to us for the calculation of your

carbon footprint following the three tier traffic light system.

All pieces of data will be categorised by source (as primary, secondary or spend) and by completeness,

as per the definitions below:

Primary – actual consumption of fuel / energy / or product with the appropriate units

Secondary – a figure we can convert into fuel / energy / product consumption simply i.e.

mileage, bags of waste etc

Spend – data that we can approximate to consumption through a series of assumptions but will

include a number of other factors i.e. VAT, levies and other taxes.

The matrix we use to assess your data is in the table below. Each piece of data you submit will fit into

this grid accordingly:

NB: Estimated, extrapolated, pro-rated or benchmarked (no information available) data are

automatically incomplete, ‘red’ data quality.

Actual & complete

(90% or more of

data)

Partially complete

(greater than 50%

of property / asset)

Incomplete (less

than 50% of

property / asset)

Primary (e.g. litreage)

Secondary (e.g. mileage)

Spend

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To illustrate some real life examples of data quality, we have provided some examples below:

Example 1: Green Data Quality

Example 2: Orange Data Quality

Example 3: Red Data Quality

Meeting and maintaining your overall data quality rating at the Carbon Smart green data quality level

will allow you to show carbon reductions and accurately compare year-on-year performance. This will

allow your organisation to retrieve the highest value from environmental reporting and achieve greater

environmental and financial rewards.

Electricity Consumption

(Primary Data) Jan-11 - Jan-12 10,500 kWh

Carbon Emission conversion

process 5.7 tCO2e

Company Cars Mileage

(Secondary Data)

Jan-11 - Jan-12 10,500 miles Use average

mpg for vehicle

Carbon Emission conversion

process 4.3 tCO2e

Natural Gas (Spend)

Jan-11 - Jan-12

£500

Average price of gas ,

levies and other costs assumed

Data annualised

40,556kWh

Carbon Emission

conversion process

7.5tCO2e

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6.4 Terminology Carbon dioxide (or CO2) - is a gas. Carbon Dioxide is just one of the greenhouse gases which impact on

our climate and the weather patterns of the planet, and has been found to contribute to global

warming.

CO2e - There are six main greenhouse gases which cause climate change and each one of these has a

different global warming potential. For simplicity of reporting, the mass of each gas emitted is

commonly translated into a carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) amount so that the total impact from all

sources can be summed to one figure. Volumes of CO2e in this report are assumed to be at standard

temperature and pressure (STP).

Greenhouse gases - Greenhouse gases occur naturally in the Earth’s atmosphere and create a layer

around the earth which keeps the planet warm. However if too many gases are released, as with CO2,

the increased concentration levels prevent heat loss from the planet and cause higher temperatures.

The name for this is the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide is the most prevalent greenhouse gas. Other

greenhouse gases include methane (which is produced from the landfill or agriculture activities), and

Nitrous oxide (as a result of transport and industrial processes). Greenhouse gases are natural and

without them the earth could be 15-30°C colder.

World Resources Institute (WRI) - WRI published the Greenhouse Gas Protocol for Project Accounting in

2005. The protocol takes the approach of identifying emissions by 'scope' (setting out Scope 1, 2 and 3)

and is widely accepted as the leading protocol for carbon footprint calculation. WRI is an environmental

think tank that goes beyond research to find practical ways to protect the earth and improve people's

lives. WRI have recognised climate change as a critical threat to people’s lives and to the environment.

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