Sheralyn Tan, Today Online 6 Jun 08;
ONE of the ironies of promoting environmentalism is that the event — like any other — is bound to generate carbon emissions.
But yesterday’s sustainability conference organised by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) avoided such a paradox.
I:* line with the theme of moving towards a low carbon economy, ACCA went carbon-free by buying carbon offsets to neutralise the event’s impact on the environment.
“One cannot go entirely carbon free — the very process of living, even dying, emits carbon,” explained Mr Reza Ali, manager of business development at ACCA. “But what we can do is reduce carbon emissions (by reducing energy use) where possible, and offset what we cannot reduce.”
The event was calculated to produce :about three or four tonnes of carbon emissions — that is, taking into account the number of people attending, the length of the event, the meals catered for and the likely type of transport used by attendees.
And while this was far below the minimum purchase of 15 tonnes of carbon offsets from Carbonfund.org, ACCA paid for this much, as this minimum amount cost just under US$200 ($273).
“It’s a relatively cheap amount to mitigate our actions,” he said, adding that it was a very tangible but effective option for companies.
Apart from voluntary offsetting, there are also cap-and-trade schemes, which apply on a more macro level, he added.
As environmental sustainability takes off here, Mr Reza is hopeful Singapore will initiate its own carbon offsetting schemes in time.
“It’s not necessary to buy offsets from a United States-based company when it’s possible to buy offsets here,” he said.
Environmental report: Singapore Poly wins top award
Michelle Quah, Business Times 6 Jun 08;
SINGAPORE Polytechnic has clinched a top environmental and social reporting award, beating other finalists Banyan Tree Holdings, City Developments, Comfort DelGro, Keppel Land International, Singapore Airlines, Sembcorp Industries and SMRT Corporation.
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants' Singapore Environmental and Social Reporting Awards (ACCA SESRA) are aimed at changing business attitudes on climate change and encouraging sustainability reporting among companies.
And this year, the judges awarded Singapore Poly 'Best Environmental Report' because it devised an online report that was accessible to the public; identified key social and environmental impacts; and was verified by an independent third party, lending credibility.
The polytechnic's report also featured its new innovation - a carbon calculator called the SP Neutral, which is a tool that raises the awareness of a person's carbon footprint.
This is Singapore Poly's second win, after its first in 2005.
'We not only want to be a responsible corporate citizen in educating our young. We also hope to influence other organisations and educational institutions to do likewise,' Singapore Polytechnic principal Tan Hang Cheong said yesterday.
The Merit Award for Best Environment Report went to Singapore Epson Industrial.
No award was given in the social reporting category, because the judges felt the reports submitted did not grasp the fundamentals of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting.
They said CSR/Social Reporting should not be limited to an organisation's philanthropic activities but should include its practices and policies that have an impact on its employees, the society in which it operates, its customers and the environment.
The ACCA SESRA is in its sixth year and is endorsed by the National Environment Agency.
ACCA Singapore country head Penelope Phoon said: 'Climate change is a major global concern for the 21st century. It is up to governments, businesses, educators and ordinary citizens to work together for a sustainable future.'
Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment and Water Resources, who was the guest of honour at yesterday's awards ceremony, said: 'The challenge for us going forward is to get the community and businesses to embrace sustainable development and switch to more eco-friendly lifestyles.'
