Best Foot Forward

Defra/DECC have moved quickly to fix the errors identified by BFF in their newly released GHG conversion factors for business carbon measurement and reporting (see previous blog). BFF are advising all clients that they should download the latest DEFRA/DECC spreadsheet and delete the old file to avoid later confusion. There are several outstanding issues with the conversion factors that BFF are still pursuing with Defra/DECC which will form the basis of a BFF review to be published soon.

BFF have today written to their clients and informed DEFRA and DECC of errors in the recently published Government’s GHG Conversion Factors which are widely used by businesses to measure, manage and report their greenhouse gas emissions. The errors affect the conversion factors for biofuels and aviation. BFF have also raised several other data and methodology concerns and queries with DEFRA/DECC and are awaiting responses.

Measuring so-called Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is relatively straightforward: look at your energy and fuel bills and total up the resulting carbon. But quantifying scope 3 emissions (the indirect emissions associated with your purchased goods and services) is a different matter altogether. Reporting Scope 3 emissions is currently an optional element of the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1 but is increasingly being recognised as both operationally important and expected. For example, DEFRA and DECC’s draft guidance on GHG reporting (for publication later this year) cites the measurement of some Scope 3 impacts as desirable ‘best practice’.

BFF was delighted to be invited to exhibit Footprinter™ at the Technology Showcase at Venturefest 2009, one of the UK’s largest gatherings of high tech businesses, entrepreneurs and investors. Footprinter™ is the leading edge online carbon management tool developed by BFF for corporations and product assessments.

Demand for BFF’s online footprint management system - Footprinter™ - is growing rapidly. As a result, we are now recruiting two people to join our Footprinter™ development team. Interested?

1. We are looking for a Business Manager to lead our partnership development work and marketing activities.
2. To bolster our techncial capabilities we are also looking to recruit a software Application Developer.

Details of both jobs are available here.

The basis of a good education, so they say, is the three R’s: reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic. A different set of R’s also crop up in the waste management hierarchy: reduce, reuse and recycle. We were reminded last week that if we are to conserve natural resources, and decarbonise our economy, the waste hierarchy also needs to be considered in the cold light of some robust ‘rithmetic. The occasion was a scientific media briefing to debunk some of the myths surrounding recycling which was organised by WRAP, the UK’s leading waste and resources programme.

BFF has been invited to open and chair a session called ‘Cutting the Carbon’ at the Sustainable Business Conference. As part of the Sustainabilitylive! exhibition at the NEC Birmingham, BFF’s Simon Miller will be presenting and answering questions on footprint methodologies and applications. The session starts at 10.30 on Thursday 21st May, with more information available here.

The RIBA-award winning ZEDBook, co-authored by BFF Director Craig Simmons, leading green architect Bill Dunster and energy expert Bobby Gilbert, is to be translated into Chinese. Cited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) judges as "a serious body of work well researched and documented", the book takes a broad overview of sustainable development and design.

We’re finally blogging again! The reason for the long break: BFF had a very busy run up to Christmas, and there’s been no change of pace in the first few weeks of 2009. Since the last post we have won a large project with a County Council to assess GHG emissions across its entire operations - and have started the development of new calculators for two high profile clients (more details to follow). The release of our Event Footprinter application for conferences, events and concerts has also prompted a large number of enquiries. The footprinting tool will be showcased alongside other sector-specific applications on our new look Footprinter website, going live in the coming months. Happy New Year to all, and good luck with pursuing a low-carbon-and-economically-stable 2009!

BFF Technical Director, Craig Simmons, has been appointed to one of the Technical Working Groups looking at expanding the international Greenhouse Gas Protocol to include products and supply chains. The new standard is being progressed under the guidance of the World Resources Institute and World Business Council on Sustainable Development. Craig already acts as an adviser on PAS 2050 (recently launched in the UK by Defra, BSI and the Carbon Trust) which is being considered as a model for the WRI/WBCSD guidance.