Global Carbon Exchange is the official local partner to Do-inc and Lemnis Lighting for the LED retrofit programme that will be used as one of the carbon offset projects for the FIFA World Cup 2010. Greening the FIFA World Cup and offsetting local emissions caused by the event, is one of the imperatives of the event. GCX is honoured to be involved with such a world class event.

GCX has just completed their own carbon footprint and discloses a baseline of 56.2 tonnes CO2e for the year 2009. GCX shares how this was calculated and the operational policies that they have adopted to achieve such an incredibly low carbon footprint.

GCX’s new Residential Eco-Auditor course will be launched in September this year and is the first of its kind in the country. The course will give learners the skills to convert any home into an efficient, low impact, cost effective household and the skills to be able to identify solutions across all areas of sustainability

A recent US report revealed that 93% of CEOs see sustainability as critical to their company’s success. Sustainability is fast becoming a strategic priority for CEO's around the world. 80% of these CEO’s believe that within 15 years sustainability will be fully embedded in the core business strategies of the majority of companies globally. The article paints a picture of what the new business environment would look like as a result.

19 July:  Johannesburg - GCX Carbon Literacy Course
19 - 21 July: Johannesburg - GCX Energy Efficiency Auditor Course
04 – 06 Aug:  Cape Town -GCX Carbon Footprint Analyst Course
10 Aug:  Cape Town - GCX Carbon Literacy Course
15 – 17 Sept: Johannesburg - GCX Carbon Footprint Analyst Course
21 - 23 Sept:  Cape Town - Residential Eco Auditor

The DTI recently published energy efficiency regulations for new buildings that would make it compulsory to design them in a way which minimizes energy use. Through the efficient use of energy in new buildings, considerable savings can be realised, thereby saving the user energy costs, as well as alleviating the pressure on the national grid. The regulations are now open for comment and input

Carbon taxes have received much criticism in the past, mainly around merely being a new source of income for the government. The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) is calling for carbon taxes to be revenue neutral and measured by their impact on emissions and not on revenue yield for the government. SAICA says business must also play a part in developing these fiscal measures applicable to climate change and must realise the implications of a carbon tax on society.

Sustainability, when seen as a strategic imperative and integrated into the core business drivers of an organization, will ensure the organization prospers in the long run. Company’s who implement sustainability initiatives in response to King III or JSE requirements without making the connection between sustainability and their core business drivers, are missing the point. Contact us if you would like to know how to embark on your journey towards sustainability.

Cape Town is home to the first African project to be registered with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) that is able to sell carbon credits on the international carbon market. The project involves the replacement of electrical geysers with solar water heaters, installing insulated ceilings and energy efficient light bulbs in the homes of residents of the low-cost housing suburb of Kuyasa. These changes have saved the residents as much as 40% off their electricity bills and reduced the carbon emissions from power stations as well.

New carbon labelling laws that are due to come into effect from 2012 will have a major impact on the export market. The French government have already announced a mandatory environmental labelling scheme for all products that impacts international business. Carbon labeling is designed to help consumers identify products that are produced in as low carbon way as possible, empowering them to choose the most environmentally friendly option. Measuring and reducing the carbon footprint of export goods is vital to avoid the possible negative affect of the carbon labeling law.

Due to our wonderful climate, friendly faces and great facilities, the hosting of large international events is on the increase. Each of these events has a large carbon footprint, and impacts our environment. There are opportunities to reduce emissions in every aspect of hosting an event. Contact us if you would like to know more about greening your upcoming event.

World leaders at the G20 summit have pledged to phase out “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption, estimated to be worth $550bn a year. Phasing out these subsidies over the next decade could cut global greenhouse gas emissions by around 7 percent. The G20 group also reiterated their support for a ‘green recovery’ as well as for continuing to support international climate change talks ahead of UN talks in Mexico.

Sustainability reporting as a management tool can have significant benefits for a company. The process of reporting on your environmental, social and economic performance highlights weaknesses in these areas and areas for improvement that can enhance overall performance. The article highlights 6 best practices to consider when developing your sustainability report. GCX can assist with your sustainability reporting requirements so contact us if you would like to find out more

In America and Europe, more and more businesses are realising the importance of tying executive compensation to the environmental performance of the company. When these 2 are linked, there is a personal incentive for executives to ensure that both sustainability and profitability objectives are strongly driven in the business. One of the companies mentioned in the article uses sustainability indicators along with earnings per share to divide up bonuses. The future of executive compensation? We hope so.

Greg Barker, The Climate Change Minister, wants Britain to move away from relying on expensive foreign fuel and towards renewable energy by investing in offshore wind, wave and tidal sources. The Coalition is committed to rapidly decarbonising the economy by taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the green economy. The Governments Green New Deal aims to reduce UK carbon emissions by 80% on 1990 levels by 2050.

The highly publicized and disastrous BP oil spill has resulted in 2 separate bills being issued in the US senate that would tighten legislation around oil drilling. The one is legislation designed to improve safety standards across the offshore drilling industry, while the other aims to remove the cap on liability arising from spills which makes the firms responsible liable for unlimited charges to cover compensation and clean up costs. Both the bills, if passed, would have a major impact on reshaping the oil industry.

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