Best Foot Forward

BFF recently joined a practitioners and users group which is advising the World Resources Institute and World Business Council for Sustainable Development on extensions to the international GHG Protocol for company greenhouse gas reporting. This influential  protocol formed the basis for ISO14064 (launched 2006) and is now set to offer better guidance on how to account for indirect, supply chain GHG emissions (so called 'Scope 3' impacts), and advice on accounting for the carbon footprint of goods and services. If you want to be kept informed of developments in this area, keep your eye on this blog and join our newsletter mailing list.

The September issue of The ENDS Report features a full review of BFF's work with the Centre for Remanufacturing and Reuse on the eco-efficiency of remanufacturing printer cartridges. Our study concluded that a remanufactured cartridge has a 46% lower carbon footprint than a new one, saving approximately 2.8kg of CO₂ per cartridge. 

It may not have made it into the Oxford English Dictionary yet but the term "ecolocide" has been picked up by staff in our Oxford office. First heard on BBC Radio 4, the word refers to humankind’s apparently natural tendency to commit ecological suicide by living beyond natural limits. The term links in directly with BFF’s longstanding commitment to promoting and using the ecological footprint as a measure of sustainability. The ecological footprint goes beyond an assessment of greenhouse gas emissions and tries to capture a broader range of environmental impacts (see Sharing Nature’s Interest; ecological footprints as an indicator of sustainability).

The 23rd September was officially named Earth Overshoot Day - the day humanity finally used up all the resources nature will generate this year, the Global Footprint Network reports. As such, Earth Overshoot Day marks the day when humanity begins living beyond its ecological means: we move into the ecological equivalent of borrowing.

BFF's footprinting work is well-recognised for its quality and robustness - so we are regularly asked to peer review other studies. One such request recently came from Building Magazine, who have enlisted us as expert reviewers of CSR and carbon emissions reports in the construction sector. Our aim is to use the column to promote transparency, highlight greenwashing and encourage more quantitative assessments of corporate environmental performance.

Best Foot Forward are delighted to be supporting the Planet Earth Season - a series of Oxfordshire events which will celebrate the richness and diversity of our environment and what we can do to preserve it. Highlights include breathtaking images in the 'Earth from the Air' exhibition at Oxford Castle. More information can be found on www.oxfordinspires.org.

A good time was had by all when BFF staff went off to Port Solent for a team-building exercise! We chartered three yachts and set off in blustery conditions to learn the ropes under the watchful eyes of our three professional skippers. Powered by nothing more than the wind, it would be difficult to imagine a more low carbon pastime – or would it?

BFF Principal Consultant Simon Miller was recently interviewed by an analyst from Quocirca to provide his views on the significance of IT in the wider context of carbon footprinting. Simon commented on the tremendous interest in ‘green IT’ but highlighted crucial issues which have not been addressed - including the significance of embodied carbon in IT equipment relative to operational efficiency and nromal equipment refresh rates. Quocirca were also impressed by BFF’s Footprinter and have included commentary on the tool in the final article published in IT Analysis.

The central tenet of the new Green Alliance report ‘Fit for the future?’ is difficult to dispute: when the economy looks gloomy environmental policies take a back seat. However, in reality, this is the very time when businesses and government need to embrace resource efficiency and not shirk their environmental responsibilities.

A recent article in The Times online business section has featured Best Foot Forward as an example of a company beating the economic downturn in the South East.