Climate Action 2010-2011

Technology and Business
Figure 1: Economic growth and carbon reduction.
combined, according to a preliminary analysis published
by Bloomberg New Energy Finance in September 2010.
Yet, investment in the expansion of (heavily subsidised)
corn for ethanol or other crops for so-called ‘alternative’
fuels cannot legitimately be considered a sustainable
solution, as their advocates (usually agribusiness interests)
like to claim.
Why on earth are governments pumping tax-payers’
money into such foolish expansion of business-asusual
activities when it makes little sense economically,
environmentally or socially? Imagine the difference if
such money was spent on simultaneously addressing the
interlinked problems caused by conventional agriculture,
energy and waste management industries. The solutions
are known and they should be implemented now.
My work with Respect networks over the past 10
years emphasises the importance of defining the issues
for long-term, sustainable business development. We
have identified more than 25 issues which in different
ways touch upon strategic decision-making for business
leaders. Many of them are closely related to the political
sector but, as a business leader, there is much that can be
done in the global economic market.
Systematically setting principles and goals for
sustainability work makes things much easier. A
programme called Business Leaders Initiative on Climate
Change (BLICC) was established by Respect in 2000
together with leading companies such as IKEA, Interface,
Inveco, Maersk, Fortum, McDonalds and DHL.
Emissions measurements are a crucial part of the Respect
climate change programme. Through BLICC, Respect
was actively involved in establishing the greenhouse
gas (GHG) Protocol corporate standard in partnership
with the World Resources Institute. BLICC piloted the
standard and provided key case studies demonstrating its
success for businesses.
Carbon calculations enable business leaders to identify
their most carbon intensive activities and immediately
isolate ‘low hanging fruit’, where they can make quick
and easy carbon reductions.
In 2007, Respect launched a user-friendly programme,
Svante, to help companies measure their emissions and
© Swedish Bioenergy association (SVEBIO)
then develop a carbon reduction action plan. The software
is aptly named after the Swedish scientist and Nobel
Prize winner, Svante Arrhenius, who discovered the
greenhouse effect in 1896. The Respect Climate Neutral
Programme was the next step to encourage companies
to set ambitious emissions reduction goals and today
many Swedish companies have started on their journey
towards climate neutrality, making their businesses more
competitive in the process.
Examples from the latest BLICC report demonstrate
the business case for reducing a company’s climate
impact. It can be achieved cost-effectively and, once
started, companies are inspired to continue: every
company’s ‘Road Map’ features ambitious plans to further
reduce their climate impact.
1. MTG Group: Swedish TV and radio broadcasters,
MTG Group, broadcasts television programmes in
over 30 countries. New video conferencing equipment
installed last year has reduced the company’s carbon
footprint by slashing the number international flights
taken to attend meetings. Through its radio channels,
the company is working to influence the behaviour of
its listeners. Its ‘Go Green’ initiative was broadcast to
4 million listeners and presenters discussed everyday
climate issues, wrote blogs and organised events in
relation to Earth Hour.
2. Stena Metall: Leading Swedish waste and recycling
company, Stena Metall, has worked for the last three
years to transport more of its scrap by rail rather than
by road, managing to cut its carbon emissions from
transport by 65 per cent. Each train at full capacity can
replace 32 trucks, and the reduction in road transport to
date is equivalent to driving around the Earth 150 times.
3. Fortum: Swedish energy company, Fortum, adheres
to the principle that every link in the energy chain
must be as energy efficient as possible. In the last year,
a new flue gas condensation plant has been put into
operation. The annual production in the combined
heat and power (CHP) power station is 200GWh
of heat, while CO 2
emissions are reduced, and the
flue gases are purified by a further 50-90 per cent
depending on the substance emitted. The amount of
district heating produced by the condensation plant is
Figure 2: Share of renewable energy in Sweden’s energy use.
© Swedish Bioenergy association (SVEBIO)
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