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Carbonfund.org Offers
‘Easy and Affordable’ Carbon Offset
Partnership How important are a company’s environmental initiatives to consumers? The answer is “very,” according to a recent study by Havas Media, which revealed that “79 percent of consumers want to buy from companies who are actively reducing their impact on the environment, while 35 percent say they would pay more for green goods.” With sustainability mushrooming as a corporate goal, office occupants everywhere are getting more conscientious about using the recycle bin and thinking twice before printing out emails and Internet pages. On a larger scale, the non-profit Carbonfund.org is offering a way for businesses to seriously address their overall carbon footprint. Campaigning under the banner “reduce what you can, offset what you can’t,” Silver Springs, Md.-based Carbonfund.org has developed its CarbonFreeŽ Partner Program to “make it easy and affordable” for companies to reduce and offset their climate impact through carbon offsets. Already more than 1,000 businesses, large and small—including Dell, Staples, Virgin America, Hyundai, and Discovery—have worked with the organization to “address their carbon footprint, further develop their green programs, and help promote their accomplishments to the public,” says Eric Carlson, president of the non-profit. “Carbon offsets enable individuals and businesses to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions they are responsible for in their everyday lives,” he explains. Carbonfund.org has a calculator that will measure a company’s carbon footprint based on standard metrics. The starting principle is that a typical office with five employees generates approximately 35 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. That total goes a lot higher when factors like equipment, business travel, employee commutes, and shipping are added. Using the Carbonfund.org calculator, businesses can determine their own carbon loads and come up with appropriate level of offset contribution. They can also choose how they want their offset dollars directed—to third-party verified renewable energy, energy efficiency, or reforestation projects, for example. Why should a business consider becoming a CarbonFree Partner? “We believe that everyone bears a responsibility to protect our environment for future generations,” Carlson replies. “Many businesses take that responsibility seriously and are taking actions to reduce their climate impact. In addition to improving energy efficiency in their business operations, another important action they can take is supporting efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. We can help change our energy system from dirty energy, like coal, to clean energy, like wind.” Carbonfund.org has brought its services to Hacienda because of the park’s consistent environmental focus. “Hacienda has made aggressive efforts to improve its environmental performance, particularly with its excellent transportation services,” notes Carlson. “Bringing environmental opportunities like Carbonfund.org to the tenants of Hacienda seems like a natural extension of the efforts already begun.” To find out more about the CarbonFree partnership and other climate change solutions, visit www.carbonfund.org. |
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