Moya McKeown on the Carbon Footprint

The CIBJO seminar, moderated yesterday by the President of the Responsible Sourcing Commission Philip Olden, saw among others the participation of Moya Mckeown, an analyst specialized in carbon footprint, that is the parameter used to estimate greenhouse gas emissions. We reached Mckeown out to understand how to help SMEs in the management of "due diligence". «CIBJO’s Greenhouse Gas Measurement Initiative was set up in 2014 through the Marketing & Education committee to assist companies understand where their emissions lie within their business and how to reduce them. The CIBJO initiative uses the Greenhouse Gas Protocol corporate standard to ensure that all Scope One, Two and Three emissions are accounted for. All carbon footprint reports for 2019 will include reference to the sustainable developments goals so all organisations within the CIBJO initiative will have easy reference to one document that combines their requirements for reducing their environmental impact and obligations under the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Scope One and Two emission reductions will be relatively easy for the SMEs to action as decisions and approval for change can be almost instant. Focussing on these Scopes will satisfy sustainable development goals twelve (Responsible Consumption and Production)  and seven (Affordable and Clean Energy) respectively. Scope Three emission reductions can be more challenging for all companies as it requires support from the supply chain to help with emissions reduction. By measuring the footprint of the business it will provide a blue print for targeting key emissions areas to formulate a reduction strategy so emissions can be reduced over time. For example reducing business travel will not only reduce company costs and improve quality of employee work life balance but by switching to video conferencing for meetings will eliminate emissions and satisfy action required for sustainable development goal thirteen (Climate Action). All companies large or small have a duty to reduce their environmental impact and protect the industry for future generations.»