2011 Greenhouse Gas Corporate Inventory Offsetters Clean...

2011 Greenhouse Gas Corporate Inventory Offsetters Clean Technology

September 2012

2011 Greenhouse Gas Corporate Inventory Report

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Executive Summary During 2011, Offsetters Clean Technology (Offsetters) emitted 36.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). Carbon dioxide equivalent is a measure of all relevant greenhouse gases (GHGs) converted to the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Offsetters is now using the financial control approach to define the organizational boundary for our GHG inventory. This marks a change from previous years and aligns with the boundary definition of the Ledcor Group of Companies, our primary strategic partner. This GHG Inventory Report has been prepared by Offsetters, including the collection and analysis of GHG activity data, and details our organizational emissions for calendar year 2011. The inventory was developed to the accounting and reporting guidelines of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, Revised Edition (the GHG Protocol) published by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The GHG Protocol is the international accounting tool most widely used by government and business leaders to understand, quantify and manage greenhouse gas emissions. A copy can be downloaded from the GHG Protocol website: www.ghgprotocol.org. As defined by the GHG Protocol, greenhouse gases from sources under the financial control of Offsetters fall under the indirect category of Scope 3. Offsetters had a total of 36.4 tonnes of GHG emissions from air travel, employee commuting, heating, electricity and office paper. A detailed breakdown of greenhouse gases by source is illustrated in Figure E1. Figure E1: 2011 Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Activity

Offsetters’ GHG emissions are highly dependent upon staff numbers and the company is committed to a 33% reduction target by 2020, consistent with the Government of BC. For additional information regarding Offsetters’ greenhouse gas program, please contact Jessica Langelaan, Director of Advisory Services at [email protected].


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Table of Contents

Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... i 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 1 2 Accounting and Reporting Procedures .............................................................................................. 1

2.1 Organizational Boundary ................................................................................................................... 1 2.2 Operational Boundary ........................................................................................................................ 1 2.3 Inventory Exclusions .......................................................................................................................... 2 2.4 Base Year ................................................................................................................................................ 2 2.5 Emissions Adjustments ..................................................................................................................... 2 2.6 Inventory Quality ................................................................................................................................. 2

3 Calendar Year 2011 Emissions .............................................................................................................. 2 3.1 = One ........................................................................................................................................................ 3 3.2 Scope Two ............................................................................................................................................. 3 3.3 Scope Three .......................................................................................................................................... 3

3.3.1 Employee Commuting ...................................................................................................................... 4 3.3.2 Business Air Travel ............................................................................................................................ 4 3.3.3 Natural Gas Heating .......................................................................................................................... 4 3.3.4 Electricity .............................................................................................................................................. 4 3.3.5 Office Paper Usage ........................................................................................................................... 5

4 Historical Comparisons ......................................................................................................................... 5 5 GHG Reductions Plan ............................................................................................................................. 6 6 Greenhouse Gas Target Setting .......................................................................................................... 7

6.1 Absolute Emissions ............................................................................................................................. 7 6.2 Emissions Intensity ............................................................................................................................. 7

7 Carbon Offsets ........................................................................................................................................ 8


iii List of Figures Figure E1: 2011 Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Activity ................................................................................. i Figure 2: 2011 Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Activity .................................................................................. 2 Figure 2: Historical GHG Emissions, 2008 to 2011 .......................................................................................... 5 Figure 3: GHG Emission Absolute Targets ........................................................................................................ 7 Figure 4: GHG Emission Intensity Targets ........................................................................................................ 8

List of Tables Table 1: Emissions by Scope, 2008 (Base Year) to 2011 (Current Year) ............................................... 3 Table 2: Emissions from Employee Commuting ............................................................................................ 4 Table 3: Emissions from Business Travel .......................................................................................................... 4 Table 4: Emissions from Natural Gas Heating ................................................................................................ 4 Table 5: Emissions from Electricity ..................................................................................................................... 4 Table 6: Emissions from Office Paper Usage ................................................................................................... 5 Table 7: GHG Reduction Opportunities .............................................................................................................. 6


1 1 Introduction This Greenhouse Gas Report has been prepared by and for Offsetters. Since 2005, Offsetters has provided high quality solutions for individuals and organizations seeking to reduce their climate impacts. The report presents information collected from a detailed accounting of Offsetters’ organizational GHG emissions for 2011 calendar year. This is the fourth year that Offsetters has collected data on its organizational emissions. The report is organized as follows:

• Section 2 describes the accounting and reporting procedures used;

• Section 3 presents the greenhouse gas emission inventory for 2011;

• Section 4 presents historical comparisons;

• Section 5 summarizes greenhouse gas management actions for reducing emissions;

• Section 6 outlines targets for future emission reductions; and

• Section 7 discusses carbon neutrality.

2 Accounting and Reporting Procedures Offsetters’ 2011 GHG corporate inventory report is structured to follow the accounting and reporting guidelines of The Greenhouse Gas Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, Revised Edition (the Protocol), published by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The Protocol is the international accounting tool most widely used by government and business leaders to understand, quantify and manage greenhouse gas emissions. A copy of the Protocol can be downloaded from the WRI website, www.ghgprotocol.org.

2.1 Organizational Boundary The organizational boundary defines the companies, business units and operations that constitute an organization for the purposes of the GHG report and the criteria for how the emissions will be reported. For the purposes of this inventory Offsetters has applied the financial control approach; business activities that Offsetters exercises financial control over are included in this inventory. This marks a change from previous years and aligns with the boundary definition of the Ledcor Group of Companies, our primary strategic partner. For all historical comparisons, the footprints have been restated using an organizational boundary based on financial control.

2.2 Operational Boundary The operational boundary identifies and categorizes emissions sources associated with an organization as defined in the organizational boundary. Offsetters’ inventory includes emissions categorized into the following scopes as defined by the Protocol:

§ Scope 1: No emission sources.

§ Scope 2: No emissions sources.

§ Scope 3: Indirect emissions from outsourced activities. Offsetters has Scope 3 emissions from: employees commuting to work; business air travel; office heating and electricity (previously capture as Scope 1 and 2, respectively); and office paper.


2 2.3 Inventory Exclusions Of the emissions applicable to the business of Offsetters, the following emissions sources are not currently included in the inventory:

§ Waste – Offsetters does not currently have access to reliable data about the weight or volume of solid waster being picked up from our offices, the types of vehicles used, or the routes that the vehicles take to the incinerator or landfill. Offsetters use office waste composting and recycling services to limit impacts related to waste generation, and it is estimated that emissions from waste disposal are minimal.

2.4 Base Year The base year is a reference year against which emissions performance can be measured over time. Offsetters has selected calendar year 2008 as its base year due to the availability of accurate and complete data for that period.

2.5 Emissions Adjustments As Offsetters’ knowledge and experience with inventory calculation grows, it may develop improved methodologies and tools. When this happens, previous years’ reported emissions would be adjusted according to the new methodology. Adjustments will also be made when new emission factors are published that more closely reflect actual emissions than those available at the time of the original calculations. These adjustments allow the emissions accounting to be as accurate and consistent from year to year as possible. However, in the case where adjustments are relatively insignificant (less than 5%) or do not reflect a change in calculation methodology, recalculations may not be performed for previous years’ emissions. For the purposes of this report, and all foreseeable reporting of emissions for Offsetters, the 2008, 2009 and 2010 footprints have been restated using an organizational boundary based on financial control.

2.6 Inventory Quality To ensure inventory quality, an Offsetters’ staff person external to the Project Team has performed quality assurance procedures to the Excel model. This GHG inventory report has not been subjected to an assessment by a qualified third-party.

3 Calendar Year 2011 Emissions In calendar year 2011, Offsetters’ consolidated emissions were 36.4 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Sll emissions were Scope 3 were the result of employee commuting, business air travel, heating and electricity, and office paper, as illustrated below in Figure 1. Figure 1: 2011 Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Activity


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Further details on each activity are listed below. The following table includes the activity data and emissions factors that were used to calculate the greenhouse gas footprint.

Table 1: Emissions by Scope, 2008 (Base Year) to 2011 (Current Year)

The following sections 3.1 to 3.3 discuss GHG emissions by scope.

3.1 Scope One In 2011, under financial control, no Scope 1 GHG emissions were generated. The GHG Protocol does not provide clear guidance on the reporting requirements for office space lessees related to the organizational boundary approach selected. Offsetters sought the guidance of the Climate Registry’s General Reporting Protocol that advises as follows: “lessees of office space should report emissions from electricity use, heating and cooling of the space whenever possible”. If an organization chooses to report office space emissions while using the financial control approach, they are counted as Scope 3 emissions.

3.2 Scope Two In 2011, under financial control, no Scope 2 GHG emissions were generated.

3.3 Scope Three In 2011, on a consolidated basis, other indirect emissions (Scope 3) accounted for a total of 36.4 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Scope Emissions Source 2008(Base Year)

No Activity Data 0Subtotal, Scope 1 GHG Emissions: 0

No Activity Data 0Subtotal, Scope 2 GHG Emissions: 0

Heating 2.2Electricity 0.9Air Travel 2Employee Commuting 0.4Office Paper 0.3

Subtotal, Scope 3 GHG Emissions: 5.8

Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions (tCO2e): 6

Scope 1 - Direct GHG Emissions

Scope 2 - Electricity Indirect GHG Emissions

Scope 3 - Other Indirect GHG Emissions

2009

00

00

7.40.5

20.53.21.3

32.9

33

2010

00

00

10.61.431.14.10.6

47.8

48

2011 (Current Year)

00

00

6.21.3

18.110.50.3

36.4

36

Variation 2008 - 2011

Variation 2010 - 2011

N/A N/AN/A N/A

N/A N/AN/A N/A

181% -42%42% -9%

803% -42%2535% 157%

13% -43%527% -24%

527% -24%


4 3.3.1 Employee Commuting In 2011, employee commuting contributed 10.5 tonnes of CO2e. This was from staff driving and taking public transit to work. Data on travel modes and distances travelled were gathered from an employee survey sent out to staff. The results were extrapolated on a per person basis to account for missing responses.

Table 2: Emissions from Employee Commuting

Emission Source Average Emissions per Employee

# of Employees 2011 Emissions (tCO2e)

Offsetters Employee Commuting 1.05 tCO2e 10 10.5

Emission Factor Sources: • Environment Canada, national Inventory report, Table A12-11, Figure A2-2. • CO2 from the GHG Protocol Mobile Guide, CH4 and N2O from Climate Registry General Reporting Protocol page

95 table 13.4 2005 year. • Poudenx, Pascal and Walter Merida, 2007. "Energy Demand and greenhouse gas emissions from urban passenger

transportation versus availability of renewable energy: The example of the Canadian Lower Fraser Valley." Energy, 32(1), 1-9.

3.3.2 Business Air Travel In 2011, business travel contributed 18.1 tonnes of CO2e.

Table 3: Emissions from Business Travel

Emission Source 2011 Activity Data (km)

Emission Factor (kgCO2e/km)

2011 Emissions (tCO2e)

Air Travel 92,145 Varies by distance 18.1 Emission Factor Sources: • www.offsetters.ca flight calculator • Defra, 2009 Guidelines, Annex 6, Table 6k

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/reporting/pdf/20090717-guidelines-ghg-conversion-factors.pdf

3.3.3 Natural Gas Heating In 2011, indirect emissions from the use of nautral gas for heating contributed 6.2 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Table 4: Emissions from Natural Gas Heating

Emission Source 2011 Activity Data (m3)

Emission Factor (gCO2e/m3)


Natural Gas 3,204.8 1,927.6 1.6 Emission Factor Source: 1990-2009 National Inventory Report (May 2011), Greenhouse Gases and Sinks in Canada, Part 2, Annex 8 (Table A8-1 and A8-2)

3.3.4 Electricity In 2011, indirect emissions from the use of electricity contributed 1.3 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Table 5: Emissions from Electricity

Emission Source 2011 Activity Data (kWh)

Emission Factor (kgCO2e/kWh)



5 Electricity Generation 451,158.8 0.025 1.3

Emission Factor Source: 1990-2009 National Inventory Report (May 2011), Greenhouse Gases and Sinks in Canada, Part 3, Annex 13 (Table A13-11)

3.3.5 Office Paper Usage In 2011, Offsetters’ GHG emissions from office paper production for usage were 0.3 tonnes of CO2e. Emissions were evaluated using the paper calculator developed by the Environmental Defense Fund and now owned and managed by the Environmental Paper Network. This calculator tracks the life cycle emissions of paper including sourcing the pulp and manufacturing the paper.

Table 6: Emissions from Office Paper Usage

Emission Source 2011 Activity Data (sheets)

kgCO2e/sheet of paper


0% Recycled Copy Paper 25,456 0.013 0.3 Emission Factor Source: Environmental Defence Fund Calculator (www.papercalculator.org).

4 Historical Comparisons In absolute terms, Offsetters has seen a 527% increase in 2011 over its 2008 base year GHG inventory and a 24% reduction over 2010. Figure 5, below, shows year-over-year total greenhouse gas emissions from 2008 through to 2011. Figure 2: Historical GHG Emissions, 2008 to 2011

Offsetters’ GHG Inventory seems to be highly dependent upon the number of employees. GHG emissions grew from 2008 to 2009 as the company size grew from 5 to 14.5 average annual employees. A reduction in staffing from 18 to 11 in early 2011 also corresponded with a reduction in overall GHG emissions. .


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5 GHG Reductions Plan Offsetters has implemented a four-part GHG management action plan, including:

1) a GHG Inventory, 2) an internal reductions plan, 3) target setting and 4) investment in GHG offsets for calendar year 2011.

During the inventory process, the team reviewed the environmental policies and actions of Offsetters and recommended a range of greenhouse gas reduction strategies with a focus on electricity, employee commuting, business travel and paper usage.

Table 7: GHG Reduction Opportunities

Emission Source Existing condition Recommendations for 2012

Electricity consumption (Office equipment and lighting)

• Policy to turn off laptops at night, and to set computers to enter sleep mode after five idle minutes

• Bathroom lights on motion sensors • Office lights turn off automatically

at 7pm

• Continue encouraging staff to shut down monitors when not in use

• Encourage staff to use power bars on top of desks and turn them off at night

Employee commuting

• Offsetters staff generally use alternatives to driving

• Offsetters staff can purchase a yearly transit pass at up to 15% off the purchase price

• Office has a central location for public transit and biking

• Secure bike storage and showers for bike commuters

• Publicize this commuting data regularly so employees have an appreciation of the environmental and financial impact of their commuting

• Host bike-to-work week events to get more staff biking to work

Business Travel

• Webex, Skype and conference calls used for meetings (to avoid travel when possible)

• Several flights taken throughout the year for business development

• Occasional taxi trips and car rentals • Bus tickets available for all staff for

business trips within the city

• Reduce the number of flights taken by encouraging staff to use Webex and Skype, whenever possible

Paper Usage • Whenever possible view electronic files instead of printing copies

• Set printer settings to default to double-sided

• Offsetters used 100% recycled paper until October 2009

• From October 2009 onwards, used 0% recycled paper

• Continue to view electronic files instead of printing

• Continue working with Ledcor to make better paper choices


7 6 Greenhouse Gas Target Setting Offsetters originally set absolute and intensity targets based on the 2008 GHG Inventory. However, new targets were established based on the 2009 GHG footprint due to significant growth in the size of our team and a move to a new office tower in October of 2009 where heating, cooling, and paper purchases are no longer in Offsetters’ control. Offsetters is working with the property managers and its strategic partner to attempt to gain control over these emissions sources, and support more sustainable choices in the building.

6.1 Absolute Emissions Target: To match the BC Provincial Government’s target of a 33% reduction in GHG emissions across the BC economy by 2020. By committing to a 33% reduction, Offsetters needs to reduce emissions to 21.7 tCO2e by 2020. To stay on track to meet this target, Offsetters must aim to reduce its total emissions by approximately 3% or 1 tonne per year. In 2011, Offsetters exceeded its absolute target by 17%, however it improved performance over 2010, where the goal was exceeded by 50%. Figure 3: GHG Emission Absolute Targets

6.2 Emissions Intensity Target: To use the BC Provincial Government’s target of a 33% reduction in GHG emissions across the BC economy by 2020 as an intensity target for emissions/employee. In 2009, Offsetters’ total emissions were 32.9 tCO2e and our average staff number for that year was 14.5, which equates to 2.3 tonnes per employee. In 2010, total emissions were 47.8 tCO2e and our average staff number was 18, which equates to 2.7 tonnes per employee, an increase of 16%. In 2011, with an average staff of 10, the emissions per employee grew again to 3.6 tonnes per employee, or a 34% increase over 2010. Figure 4, below, illustrates these results.


8 Figure 4: GHG Emission Intensity Targets

It appears as though the reduction in staff in 2011 may have contributed to an increase of GHG emissions per employee since there are fixed emissions associated with heat and power for the office space. However, Offsetters’ is committed to tracking this metric annually, and achieving its ultimate target of 1.5 tonnes per employee by 2020.

7 Carbon Offsets Offsetters is a carbon neutral business. Offsetters has purchased 36 tonnes of high quality, verified carbon credits to offset GHG emissions generated in 2011. Offsetters invests funds received into renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that reduce GHG emissions, which would not take place without Offsetters’ involvement. A ‘Carbon Neutral’ designation also requires that GHG reduction strategies be implemented. In order to maintain this designation in future years, carbon credits would need to be purchased to cover GHG emissions generated in those years.


604-699-2650

[email protected]

www.offsetters.ca

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