Companies scout opportunities in reducing carbon emissions

Chris Howells Channel NewsAsia 18 Mar 10;

SINGAPORE: Carbon disclosure is gaining momentum in Asia as companies feel the heat from climate change.

The trend is being driven by companies becoming more responsible about their emissions and awareness of their carbon footprint.

But observers said it's not all about corporate social responsibility or compliance. They said there is, in fact, money to be made from being green.

Sindicatum Carbon Capital invests in companies to help them upgrade their technology to reduce emissions and reuse the waste from their production process.

It said its experience shows that companies can transform pollution into revenue streams such as monetizing their hidden assets by converting pollution and production waste into energy or reducing emissions for carbon credits, which will in turn help to reduce their carbon footprint.

Assad W. Razzouk, group chief executive, Sindicatum Carbon Capital, said: "We put up the capital for you to upgrade essentially your equipment and while doing that save on your energy usage.

“If you're a steel producer using 500 megawatts of power in your steel plant, we can probably generate energy savings of upwards of 20-25 million dollars per annum in a sustained basis over 10 years.

Sindicatum said there are now ways where companies can reuse or convert bi-products into profit through environmental commodities like electricity or carbon credits.

The company also said there is a growing trend of Asian companies investing in projects to re-use emissions to help the bottomline.

Mr Assad W. Razzouk said: “Increasingly the reception has been much better because what we are fundamentally trying to communicate is the fact that the environment and running a sustainable and more efficient business is very good business. It's very good business in the sense that you, as a corporate, can improve your profitability by investing in your business in order for it to be greener, cleaner.”

With this simple approach, observers said companies stand to benefit by improving their standing among an increasingly responsible global investor base. - CNA/vm