London, 03 Feb 2009: The Business Travel Show is reducing all CO2 emissions relating to the event to net zero for the third year running; 2009 sees a new Carbon Management Zone; visitors can offset their travel to the show
The Business Travel Show in partnership with The CarbonNeutral Company, a world leading carbon offset and carbon management company, has achieved CarbonNeutral® event status for the third year running. All the emissions produced over the three days of the event are measured and reduced to net zero through The CarbonNeutral Company’s industry leading process.
Firstly all the CO2 emissions associated with the heating, lighting, waste, supplier and organiser travel are measured by an independent science team. With The CarbonNeutral Company, The Business Travel Show reduces its carbon footprint by combining internal changes (e.g. increasing recycling), with carbon offsetting. Through offsetting, every tonne of CO2 produced is matched by an equivalent amount saved by a project elsewhere in the world. The Business Travel Show has selected renewable energy projects in India and China to offset their CO2 emissions.
As advocates for tackling climate change, The Business Travel Show has introduced a new Carbon Management Zone where visitors can offset their travel to the event.
Also The CarbonNeutral Company on Stand 219 will enable visitors to:
• Investigate the business case for using carbon offsets to drive down CO2 and associated costs
• Learn more about the four step approach to measure and reduce emissions
• Understand the value of carbon offsetting services to strength client relationships
There will also be discounted rates for offsetting individual travel and driving emissions for a year.
David Chapple, Business Travel Show event director, commented: “As an events organisation promoting business travel, we are aware that over 25% of a company’s carbon footprint may be attributable to travel. The issue isn’t no travel, it’s smart travel. To fully identify with the challenge that the travel industry faces, we feel that it is imperative that we measure and reduce our own carbon footprint to net zero.“
Chapple adds, “Through working with carbon management experts at The CarbonNeutral Company we estimate that our event produces 52 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, which is equivalent to 260 direct return flights from London Heathrow to Berlin. In order to reduce our carbon footprint to net zero The CarbonNeutral Company provides us with high quality offsetting projects. We would encourage all visitors to follow our example - not only to benefit the climate, but for the balance sheet and for reputation.”
Sue Welland, Founder and Marketing Director of The CarbonNeutral Company said: “Managing CO2 is now part of business operations; for travel buyers it makes sense to measure emissions, to understand their source and volume, and to implement internal and external reductions; for travel suppliers, failing to provide carbon management and carbon offset options puts them at risk of losing customers to competitors with more rounded offers.”
Welland continues, “Over our ten year history we have seen CarbonNeutral programmes deliver brand differentiation, reduce costs and improve corporate reputation for clients.”
For more information contact:
Sharon Corrigan, PR Manager
T: 020 7833 6016/M: 07827 951631
E: sharon.corrigan@carbonneutral.com
Notes to editors:
The Business Travel Show www.businesstravelshow.co.uk
10-12 Feb 2009
Project details:
The Bhambarwadi wind power project supports the construction and operation of sixteen new wind turbines near Gudhe Panchgani village in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The project reduces the region’s reliance on fossil fuels and provides employment to local people, helping to support the economic development of nearby villages.
The Guizhou hydro power project consists of a bundle of small and medium hydro power stations in Guizhou Province, in southwest China. By substituting coal-fired power stations with clean hydro power sources, local air pollution and the associated health risks are being reduced. At the same time, an improved road network will help the development of the local economy.
The CarbonNeutral Company (www.carbonneutral.com) a world leading carbon offset and carbon management business, working with over 300 major businesses and thousands of small and medium sized companies. Over the last ten years, they have purchased carbon credits from almost 200 projects spread over six continents.
CarbonNeutral® is the registered trademark of The CarbonNeutral Company and is the leading brand mark and quality standard for action on climate change. Permission to display the CarbonNeutral mark is only given to clients when CO2 emissions have been measured and reduced to net zero through a programme implemented in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol. This Protocol assures quality of offset projects, carbon footprint assessments and communication and is regularly reviewed by an Independent Advisory Group. The ‘audit trail’ includes an annual independent verification of CarbonNeutral programs – from contracts with carbon offset partners through to contracts with clients and everything in between.
The CarbonNeutral Company has two regional operating headquarters in New York and London, as well as offices in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., and a network of affiliates in Japan, Canada, France and UAE. An additional office will soon open in Asia.
The CarbonNeutral Company is a founding member of The International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA), which provides leadership and a unified voice advocating for rigorous industry standards www.icroa.org.