Offsetting

We pay a voluntary levy to offset all the carbon dioxide emissions resulting directly from our activities, as well as from the activities of the telecoms providers whose networks we use.

Our view is that, although offsets alone cannot solve the problem of global warming, and while there may on occasions be abuses in the way offsets are marketed, this does not invalidate their use in relation to emissions which we are unable to reduce directly (such as those of our suppliers).

So we have decided to continue to use offsets, while redoubling our efforts to reduce our own emissions where we can.

The levy is paid to Climate Care, which uses the funds to finance projects resulting in a sustainable reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, or in increased fixing of carbon from the atmosphere.

Examples of the projects supported include:

• a biomass project in the Punjab region of India which is using rice husk waste to generate clean renewable energy.
• a programme to introduce more efficient cooking stoves in Cambodia.
• a wind farm in China where energy is predominantly generated in coal-fired power stations at present.

Case Study:

Nahar biomass

As the Indian economy grows, there is increasing demand for electricity for both industry and domestic consumers. Deep in the Punjab, ClimateCare is working with the Nahar Spinning Mill where operations were previously very carbon intensive with all electricity being met via fossil-fuelled grid energy and steam generated from fuel oil.

Nahar is situated in a rice growing area with an abundance of unwanted rice husk waste produced during the rice milling process. The project has involved installing a 5 MW rice husk-fired boiler which burns 100% rice husk waste to generate clean renewable electricity and steam.

The factory has reduced its running costs as well as its emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants such as SO2 and soot. There have also been social benefits as the new power plant has created higher value jobs as well as a new income stream for local rice farmers.