Ten
New Participants Join UNEP's Climate Neutral
Network at the Global Business for the Environment
Summit in Singapore
Singapore/Nairobi, 23 April 2008-What brings
together a Latin American beauty corporation,
a boutique French advertising agency, a
UK-based sustainability think-tank and a
Brazilian online carbon trading venture?
All of them have pledged
to significantly reduce their greenhouse
gas emissions en route to zero emissions
by joining the Climate Neutral Network (CN
Net), a web-based forum to catalyze a transition
to a low-carbon world set up by the UN Environment
Programme (UNEP) in cooperation with the
UN's Environment Management Group.
The announcement was
made today at the Global Business for the
Environment (B4E) Summit in Singapore. The
two-day conference, jointly organized by
UNEP and the UN Global Compact, will discuss
business-driven solutions for mitigating
and adapting to climate change.
"A small but growing
band of countries, cities and corporations
are making the clear and explicit statement
that aspiring to low-even zero-emission
economies-is not some unobtainable pipe-dream
but a path to profitability, stability and
sanity in an increasingly unstable world,"
said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General
and UNEP Executive Director.
"CN Net is federating
this development and in doing so will catalyze
a transition to a low carbon society able
to transform the way we do business on this
planet. The existing and new participants
are leading by example and proving the art
of the possible and a determination to be
part of a global climate solution. I look
forward to welcoming more to the network
on World Environment Day 5 June under the
theme 'Kick the Carbon Habit'," he
added.
A growing number of
countries, cities, companies and organizations
have become CN Net participants since the
initiative's launch in February 2008 during
UNEP's Governing Council in Monaco.
The latest wave of participants
extends the initiative's reach to small
and medium enterprises, as well as international,
non-governmental and research organizations.
Headquartered in Peru,
Belcorp is an international corporation
with 40 years' experience in the manufacturing
and sale of beauty products. Well-known
throughout Latin America for its iconic
brands, Belcorp has taken steps to reduce
its carbon footprint throughout the supply
chain-from manufacturing to distribution
of its products by some 500,000 female sales
representatives.
Inoxia is a small advertising
outlet based in Bordeaux, France, which
prides itself on being a "responsible
agency". Having completed its carbon
assessment for 2006-2007, Inoxia has set
out on an ambitious plan of action to cut
greenhouse gas emissions caused by staff
travel by 20% within two years.
The aptly named BlindSpot
research centre in the UK explores opportunities
for global sustainability which are conventionally
overlooked. The centre has developed tools
to make sustainable development economically
achievable such as "precycling insurance"
that seeks to free up funds for more preventive
investment in global security.
Based in Brazil's financial
capital São Paolo, Incentive Sol
is an up-and-coming online venture that
enables users to contribute towards the
global fight against global warming by purchasing
environmentally-friendly products and services.
A certain percentage of each transaction
is invested in community-based sustainability
projects, such as small-scale solar energy,
while the buyers earn "carbon points"
that could be used for future online purchases.
Sempre Avanti Consulting
is a carbon neutral consulting practice
based in Wellington, New Zealand, which
specializes in management consulting, transportation,
procurement and sustainability. A participant
in the national carboNZero programme since
2006, the consultancy has a stringent travel
policy that favours companies offering emissions
offsets, and a vehicle purchasing policy
with a focus on the use of hybrid cars and
bio-fuels.
The UK-based Carbon
Clear helps businesses and individuals calculate
their carbon footprint, reduce greenhouse
emissions at the source, and purchase carbon
offset credits to balance their unavoidable
climate impacts. Carbon Clear invests in
projects that improve living standards in
developing countries, while providing global
climate benefits, such as fuel-efficient
cook stoves in Sudan, energy-efficient artisan
brick kilns in Nicaragua, and engine retrofits
for two-stroke tricycle motorbike taxis
in the Philippines.
Wright Communications
is New Zealand's only public relations consultancy
specialising in corporate responsibility
and sustainability communications. It works
with a broad range of entities many of which
are pursuing carbon neutrality, including
multinational corporations, New Zealand
owned businesses, government agencies and
the not-for-profit sector.
Established in 1999,
Planète Urgence is a French NGO that
has pioneered the concept of "solidarity
holidays", which allows working professionals
to engage in a concrete humanitarian mission
during their annual leave or other spare
time. By joining CN Net, the NGO has further
committed to offsetting its volunteers'
carbon emissions by investing in reforestation
projects in the developing countries it
operates in.
The Regional Ozone Network
in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) was created
in 2003 to assist 12 countries of the region
in phasing out ozone-depleting substances
in support of the Montreal Protocol, which
in itself has significantly contributed
to climate protection by phasing out substances
which had caused both ozone-depletion and
global warming at the same time. In line
with UNEP's climate neutral strategy, the
ECA network adopted its climate-friendly
approach to organizing regional network
meetings from 1 January 2008.
Last but not least,
the United Nations has, under the leadership
of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, also
backed a decision to work towards climate
neutrality and UNEP is among the first to
adopt measures to realize this goal. As
part of UNEP's climate neutral strategy,
a preliminary comprehensive greenhouse gas
inventory was prepared in March 2008 and
UNEP's 2008 carbon footprint will be offset
through the purchase of certified emission
reductions and other activities, such as
tree planting in support of its Billion
Tree Campaign.
Quotes from Some of
the New Climate Neutral Network (CN Net)
Participants:
Belcorp (http://www.belcorp.biz/)
"As a corporation, we are committed
to looking after our planet to make it a
safe and healthy place to live on. This
is hard work, but we know we can achieve
it through the passion, commitment and enthusiasm
of each of our collaborators, because, more
than just a corporation, we are a great
team capable of turning extraordinary things
into reality."
-Paul Duclos, Research
& Development Corporate Expert
Inoxia (http://inoxia.com/)
"Inoxia strongly believes that each
company's actions will have an impact on
the environment, no matter how big or small!
Our commitment to CN Net shows that even
an SME in the advertising industry can find
a whole range of solutions to become more
carbon neutral."
-Philippe Barre, CEO
BlindSpot (http://www.blindspot.org.uk/)
"If ever there was a moment for new
thinking and fast action, it's now. BlindSpot's
work on global economic tools will be shared
through CN Net to give every business and
every community a real chance to become
climate neutral, or better. We want to see
both the economy and the climate recover
quickly - CN Net is helping to make that
possible."
-James Greyson, Sustainability
Analyst
Incentive Sol Soluções Solidárias
Ltda (http://www. incentivesol.com/)
"We believe that the climate change
problem is far too large to be confronted
by one single individual, organization,
group or nation, and only initiatives based
on solidarity and team work, as the example
set by UNEP's Climate Neutral Network, will
contribute to making the world more sustainable."
-Stelio G. Cristovão,
CEO
Sempre Avanti Consulting NZ Ltd (http://
www.sempreavantinz.co.nz/)
"We have chosen to join Climate Neutral
Network as we see this as a natural extension
of our participation in the New Zealand-based
carboNZero programme. The CN Net gives global
profile to business environmental sustainability.
We are passionate about our companies' sustainability
practices and see the CN Net as the best
vehicle to show our global commitment to
these issues. Sempre Avanti Consulting supports
the goals of the CN Net and believes that
businesses need to show commitment to their
corporate social responsibilities by joining
networks like the CN Net."
-Gordon Shaw, Consulting
Director
Carbon Clear (http://www.carbon-clear.com/)
"Carbon Clear is delighted to support
the aims of the Climate Neutral Network.
As a company, we are passionate about helping
business make the transition to a sustainable
future. It is important that we inspire
leaders in business and government by sharing
share best practice and success stories.
Through the Climate Neutral Network, we
can contribute to a community that illustrates
the benefits of a low-carbon future."
-Mark U. Chadwick, CEO
Wright Communications (http://www.wrightcommunications.co.nz/)
"A number of our clients are already
certified carbon neutral and others are
currently participating in the carboNZero
programme, so it is of great value to understand
what they are going through and what they
are working towards. What we've found is
that many sustainable solutions don't involve
large financial investments, just sound
decision making at critical moments-which
any sized company can do."
-Nikki Wright, Managing
Director
Planète Urgence (http://www.planete-urgence.com/)
"Planète Urgence is proud to
join UNEP's Carbon Neutral Network in recognition
of NGOs' leading role in the fight against
climate change and their key function as
an interface between the companies of North
and the people in the South. To reduce greenhouse
gas emissions, to compensate for those which
cannot be reduced, to be carbon-neutral
today and carbon-negative tomorrow ? that's
the potential of the Carbon Neutral Network
for us."
-Hervé Dubois,
Director
Regional Ozone Network in Europe and Central
Asia (http://www.uneptie.org/ozonaction/networks/eca.asp/)
"Most ozone depleting substances are
greenhouse gases, some of which are thousands
of times more potent than carbon dioxide.
That's why the implementation of the Montreal
Protocol has already contributed in a very
significant way to mitigating climate change
and achieving the Kyoto targets. The European
and Central Asian network is working with
governments, industry and bilateral partners
in the twelve participating countries to
raise climate change awareness and test
new approaches, and has recently organized
its first climate-friendly meeting in Albania.
But above all, we endeavour to 'kick the
habit' and our addiction to carbon!"
-Rajendra Shende, Head
of UNEP DTIE OzonAction Branch
Notes to Editors
The aims and objectives of the Climate Neutral
Network, the pledges and strategies of the
participants and details on how to join
are at www.unep.org/climateneutral
UNEP resources on climate change are at
www.unep.org/themes/climatechange/
UN Environment Management Group is at www.unemg.org
Global Business Summit for the Environment
http://www.b4esummit.com/
Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson
