Carbon Footprinting & Credits

A carbon footprint is the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product. An individual, nation or organization's carbon footprint is measured by undertaking a GHG emissions assessment. Once the size of a carbon footprint is known, a strategy can be devised to reduce it.

CoRDA's Sustainability Coordinator and Dalhousie University's Eco Efficiency Centre conduct workshops to inform your company on how to determine your carbon footprint.  If you are interested please contact Ericka Wicks.

Carbon Management in Business Planning

The benefits of integrating carbon management into business strategies are immediate. Businesses that take charge of their greenhouse gas emissions enjoy a marketing advantage and a greening of their image. By accounting for liability, they can begin to mitigate and control risk. Companies that take early action to manage their carbon footprint can turn emission reductions into gain by realizing income through carbon credits. Businesses that wait to be regulated will suffer, as their emission reductions will show up only on the cost side of the ledger.

Smart businesses that put carbon management at the centre of their operations plan will:
• mitigate risk
• control carbon liability and ensure energy security
• save money through efficiencies
• address climate change
• realize profits through credits and incentives.

A well-designed and maintained corporate GHG inventory can serve several business goals, including:
• manage GHG risks and identify reduction opportunities
• public reporting and participation in voluntary and obligatory GHG programs
• participate in mandatory reporting programs
• participate in GHG credit markets
• recognition for early voluntary action.

If you are interested in knowing more about carbon credits, please contact:
Gay Harley
Public Advocacy and Carbon Management
Scotian WindFields Inc.
p.  +1 877-798-5085  +1 877-798-5085
c.  +1 902-449-4167  +1 902-449-4167
gharley@scotianwindfields.ca
www.scotianwindfields.ca

Dalhousie University's Eco-Efficiency Centre has recently launched their free online Carbon Footprint Calculator for SMEs.  Click here to access the tool.  If you’re interested in learning more about carbon footprinting and management, check out these articles available from Dalhousie University's Eco-Efficiency Centre:

"Made to Measure: Calculating Your Carbon Footprint"
By Emily Richardson, Intern with the Eco-Efficiency Centre

"Top Ten Checklist for Calculating Your Carbon Footprint"
By the Eco-Efficiency Centre Staff

"Carbon footprint - What it is and how to measure it"
Published by the European Commission's Joint Research Committee