CarbonLow have this week announced a partnership with Fulgent Technologies and Stroma Certification for the provision of Green Deal and ECO software. CarbonLow have become Fulgent’s first Green Deal Provider and together with Stroma Certification will build upon Fulgent’s strong track record of providing highly regarded management information and regulatory reporting for the utilities and energy efficiency companies.

Peter Walden, Managing Director of CarbonLow, said: ”We are delighted by the way Fulgent and Stroma approach the need for robust, accurate reporting in the rapidly developing ECO and Green Deal arena. We are very pleased to be the first to recognise the clear capabilities of Fulgent and Stroma systems to bring together our key ECO and Green Deal Supply Chain partners and allow rapid delivery of ECO and Green Deal measures.”

Nick Dawkes, Managing Director Fulgent said “The collaborative partnership unites a trio of expertise: Stroma Certification, a recognised industry leader in energy performance calculation/assessment software and scheme provider beside long established database specialists with valuable experience in CERT and CESP – Fulgent Technologies, delivers a robust structure for CarbonLow, who contribute the supply chain and Green Deal Provider status. The trinity’s proficiency will enable rapid onset of Green Deal Plans and ECO reporting to exacting standards”

CarbonLow Group has a background in the provision of energy certification in buildings and was one of the first Green Deal Providers to be accredited by the Green Deal Oversight Registration Body; they also led the way in obtaining Green Deal Assessor Organisation status and are now working with leading supply chain partners to deliver ECO and Green Deal.

Stroma Certification provides Energy Performance of Buildings Directive accreditation schemes and software and certifies nearly a third of Energy Assessors working within the industry. The Department of Energy and Climate Change and United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) created the Green Deal accreditation schemes, in which Stroma Certification is participating, to the BS EN 45011:1998 standard. Trading for over ten years, the Stroma Group is a well-established organisation with a strong reputation in the building energy-efficiency and compliance sectors. 

Fulgent have been providing hardware, software and network maintenance services for over 15 years and are an award winning Microsoft Development Partner, PAF Solution Provider (Postcode Address File) and Web Application and Database Specialist. The ‘Green Deal Manager’ is a suite of sophisticated programs designed to automate the task of Property Surveys, communicate the transfer of data (EDI) between multiple tiers and platforms, whilst providing a central repository of data for quality control and analysis reporting.

CarbonLow has assisted two international utility supply-chain companies in their drive to bring down carbon emissions with improved scores for both in the world-wide Carbon Disclosure Project, whose annual results were released last week.

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is an independent not-for-profit organisation working to drive greenhouse gas emissions reduction. It requests information annually on greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and the risks and opportunities from climate change from thousands of the world’s largest companies.. Disclosed information is made publically available by CDP for integration in business, investment and policy decision making and is a valuable indicator for stakeholders.

Fusion Provida, part of the Fusion Group, a leading supply-chain partner for utilities and utility infrastructure providers, has made its second return to the CDP and has increased its scoring, thanks to a firm commitment to make carbon reduction a part of its decision-making process across the board.

With a member of staff dedicated to energy management and environment, regular carbon strategy meetings, a roll-out of CarbonLow’s iCAT carbon accounting software and renewable and energy reducing projects underway, Fusion is embedding carbon reduction into its business practices.

The Fusion Group is also in the process of working towards obtaining CarbonLow’s CLEEAR Standard, a carbon monitoring and reduction standard, approved by the Environment Agency.

AVK Group, leading valve and fittings manufacturer for the utilities market, obtained CarbonLow’s CLEEAR Standard earlier this year and has been working with the company for five years using iCAT to record carbon emissions as a result of their transport, property and manufacturing processes.  They have a dedicated carbon and environment manager and have a number of initiatives underway to reduce carbon including reviewing product designs to try to identify opportunities to reduce weight and carbon emissions.

For the third year running, AVK’s score in the CDP increased reflecting its continuing commitment to reduce emissions and be transparent with its stakeholders about its carbon journey.

CarbonLow has received the official go-ahead from the Green Deal Oversight Body which today confirmed the company’s status as a Green Deal Provider.

Trading as CarbonLow Real Estate, the company will be offering Green Deal Plans to businesses who can use the government’s flagship energy policy to make their premises more energy efficient with no upfront costs for the improvements.

CarbonLow Certification has already been approved by Bre as a Green Deal Advice Service Organisation, one of only a handful able to offer Green Deal Assessments and the two companies will be working together to provide an end-to-end service for businesses.

CarbonLow’s managing director Peter Walden said that it was : “Great news; we are looking forward to working with new and existing clients to help them make their properties cheaper to run.”

As a Green Deal Provider CarbonLow will offer the finance for the Green Deal Plans, project manage the energy improvement  installations and deal with warranties and insurance.

For more information on CarbonLow call 0845 634 6071 or visit them on Stand X4 at Retro Expo, NEC Birmingham from October 30th to November 1st

Visitors to Retro Expo, which takes place on October 30^th to November 1^st, will be able to call in on CarbonLow’s Green Deal team on the company’s stand which it is sharing with supply chain partner  Mitsubishi Electric (UK).

Delivered in partnership with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and Bre, Retro Expo is a new exhibition and conference dedicated to the low carbon refurbishment of existing buildings in the domestic, commercial and public sector markets.

One of the hotly-anticipated events at Retro Expo will be the Dragon’s Den held at The Green Deal Summit on Thursday 1 November. Seven product innovations will be showcased before a panel of ‘Dragons’ including CarbonLow’s Managing Director, Peter Walden as well as Munish Data, Head of Plan A at M&S and Chris Jofeh, Head of Retrofit at Arup. The Dragons are looking for credible and innovative solutions that could have a revolutionary impact on non-domestic retrofit. At the end of the session, the Dragons will select the Retro Expo Non Dom Retrofit Innovation of the Year.

As one of only a handful of companies certified on October 1^st as a Green Deal Advice Service Organisation by Bre, CarbonLow can offer Green Deal Assessments using its nationwide network of quality-controlled advisors and is also in the process of being authorised as a Green Deal Provider able to supply the finance and project manage commercial Green Deals from January 28^th 2013..

CarbonLow has a background in energy performance in commercial buildings which makes the company well placed to give sound, professional advice to companies looking to update their buildings using the Green Deal, the government’s flagship energy policy. The company has been working closely with DECC as a Pioneer Green Deal Provider assisting in systems and process testing and has an in-depth knowledge of the whole Green Deal process from end to end.

For more information on CarbonLow and the Green Deal visit CarbonLow’s stand at Retro-Expo. See www.retro-expo.co.uk

CarbonLow Certification, part of the CarbonLow Group, has been approved as one of only seven organisations in the country able to offer Green Deal Assessments under the government’s new flagship Green Deal policy.

Launched on October 1st, the Green Deal aims to upgrade homes and business properties and make them more energy efficient by using private finance and with the revolutionary idea of the ‘loan’ being repaid via the electricity bill.

The passport to a Green Deal is an energy assessment carried out by a qualified advisor and in order to bring a high level of competency and confidence to the scheme the government has put in place strict quality management, qualification and audit processes around the provision of these assessments.

Green Deal Assessments will only be able to be offered by companies that have been certified as Green Deal Advice Service Organisations by complying with the rigorous specification laid down by the Green Deal Process.

CarbonLow has been certified as one of these organisations by Bre and can now offer Green Deal Assessments with a team of national assessors who have been meticulously vetted by CarbonLow to ensure they comply with all qualification, insurance, continuing professional development and audit requirements.

Speaking after the launch on Monday 1^st October, Andy Butterfield, BRE Global Associate Director, commented “We are extremely pleased to be able to announce the completion of the certification process for CarbonLow who are listed on the Green Deal Oversight Body (Gemserv) register from today. They are to be commended for their hard work in developing the infrastructure and quality management systems required by the Gemserv specification to deliver advisor services.”

Peter Walden, Director of CarbonLow Group, said: “CarbonLow are delighted to have extended their long standing Energy Performance relationship with BRE Global through accreditation of their Green Deal Advisory Service which can now offer Green Deal Advisors a low-cost streamlined administration and quality management system required to complete Green Deal Advice Reports.”

CarbonLow is set to concentrate on the commercial property market and is in the process of being approved as a Green Deal Provider having been a Pioneer Provider during the last six months, working closely with the Department of Energy and Climate Change in developing the Green Deal.

CarbonLow’s registration at the Green Deal Oversight Registration Body can be found at http://www.greendealorb.co.uk/assessors/assessor-search

For more information on how the Green Deal can help your business to save money and cut costs please call 0845 634 6071

CarbonLow was amongst 22 companies signing up to become early-start Green Deal Providers under an agreement described by Climate Change Minister Greg Barker as a ‘watershed moment’ in the development of the Green Deal.

Speaking at Whitehall, where the Pioneer Providers met to pledge support for the scheme, Greg Barker said:  “The commitment shown today highlights the opportunity organisations see in the Green Deal from community groups, SMEs to big business which only bodes well for the scheme’s future success.

“We will be working with these organisations to ensure they can fulfil the potential they have demonstrated today and become the first to offer Green Deals.”

Other go-early Providers include household names and energy companies such as  E.ON, British Gas, Carillion and Kingfisher as well as smaller green specialist such as Ampere Green Deal Provider and British Eco.

Peter Walden, Director, CarbonLow Group said:

“CarbonLow are delighted to be working with DECC in pioneering the Green Deal. With a background in energy performance in buildings, CarbonLow can see the potential in the Green Deal in encouraging both landlords and tenants of commercial property to make their buildings more energy efficient and cheaper to run without considerable upfront costs.

The Green Deal, which is set to launch on October 1, will enable homeowners and businesses to access loans for energy efficiency measures, which are repaid via electricity bills The Government says it will see billions of pounds lent every year and create 250,000 jobs between now and 2020.

CarbonLow is gearing up to become a one-stop Green Deal Provider for the commercial sector; in-house assessors able to recommend measures that fit within the Green Deal rules, accredited kit and installation teams and competitive finance rates plus the knowledge gained from taking part in this go-early scheme will put CarbonLow in a position to start helping businesses as soon as the systems go live on October 1^st.

Following the announcement in the budget that the CRC was either to be scrapped or simplified the DECC has today opened its consultation on how to make the unpopular scheme easier to administer.

The new slimmed-down version of the CRC is designed to cut costs by almost two-thirds and generate savings of around £330 million up to 2030.

But the consultation opened on a day when the government again shelved plans to force companies to report their carbon emissions. Defra announced that “no decision has yet been reached” on a topic it has been considering since December 2009. It added that ministers need more time to consider submissions to the latest consultation. The government was forced to make the announcement as the Parliamentary recess, which starts today, means the 6 April deadline required by the 2008 Climate Change Act would otherwise be missed.

The CBI, a firm supporter of mandatory carbon emissions reporting, has accused the government of ‘fudging’ the issue by moving it down the agenda.

CRC-made-simpler

In his Budget last week, Chancellor George Osborne threatened to replace the “cumbersome and bureaucratic” scheme with an alternative environment tax if savings cannot be found by this Autumn.

The set of proposed changes will shorten the CRC qualification process and will simplify what counts as a supply. In addition, the number of fuels covered by the scheme will be reduced from 29 to four.

The Government also plans to reduce the reporting required by cutting the number of reports that participants are required to submit and the length of time participants need to keep records.

The 92-page consultation document, which is accompanied by an administration cost analysis from KPMG and an Impact Assessment, aims to cut the burden for companies caught not just by the CRC but also other climate change initiatives by removing their obligation to take part in all schemes.

Climate change Minister Greg Barker said the Government will look to reduce the overlap between schemes at registration.

He added: “In particular, climate change agreement facilities and EU emissions trading system installations will not be required to purchase CRC allowances. Our proposals will also create greater alignment between CRC and company greenhouse gas reporting (GHG) by adopting for CRC the emission factors used for GHG reporting purposes.

“These proposals will help us meet our simplification objective of optimising the projected energy and carbon savings delivered by the CRC energy efficiency scheme while reducing the complexity and administrative cost.”

The Performance League Table will remain in place for now; the report says “Government believes that it is important to see what impact the performance league table has in creating a reputational driver for energy efficiency. We need to learn the lessons from the publication of the first couple of Performance League Tables before making a decision on whether to amend this element of the scheme.”

Mr Barker said he hoped to implement the changes so the amended legislation could be in place by April 2013.

CarbonLow Emissions can offer accreditation to their CLEEAR Standard, a Carbon Trust equivalent Standard, certified under the Carbon Reduction Commitment Scheme by the Environment Agency and which can help improve positioning in the League Table.

For more information call 0845 634 6071 or email crc@carbonlow.co.uk

Four in five companies fail to disclose the paybacks of reducing carbon emissions to suppliers, according to a new study from the Carbon Disclosure Project and Accenture.

While firms, particularly those in Europe and Asia, are making progress, carbon reduction advances are not being extended into supply chains.

Examples of success cited in the report included PepsiCo’s work with suppliers in Chile to help them reduce water usage by 35 per cent.

Wal-Mart was praised for assisting supplier Dana Undies to reduce its energy bill by 71 per cent by encouraging it to adopt energy efficiency measures.

However, the report did find that businesses are demanding more from their suppliers than in the past.

For example, 90 per cent of responding companies have a climate change strategy with at least general guidelines for procurement, an increase from 79 per cent in 2010.

“Suppliers are becoming more transparent about their emissions-related information, in part due to growing pressure from corporate clients,” the report states.

Companies hesitating to invest in the environmental agenda may like to consider a new report from accounting giants KPMG, which has identified 10 environmental ‘megaforces’ with the potential to derail business growth.

Climate change, energy volatility and water availability have been identified as three of the ‘megaforces’ that organisations should be aware of over the next two decades.

The KPMG report aims to put a financial value on the environmental pressures businesses are likely to face and estimates that if companies had to pay for the full environmental costs of their production now it would amount to 41% of earnings.

Climate change, water scarcity, growing populations, deforestation, energy supply volatility, material resource scarcity, wage inflation, urbanisation, food security and ecosystem decline are the top ten environmental measures to be aware of.

KPMG warned that many businesses will have to take account of the external environmental costs on their balance sheets, particularly if governments make good on pledges to scrap certain fossil fuel and water subsidies and roll out carbon pricing schemes.

The research found that the external environmental costs of 11 key industry sectors jumped 50 per cent in the eight years to 2010.

Whilst food production had the largest environmental cost footprint of the 11 sectors studied, the electricity sector faced undeclared environmental costs worth $195bn, and the oil and gas industry’s costs topped $150bn.

Yvo de Boer, KPMG’s special global adviser on climate change and sustainability, and former head of the UN’s climate change secretariat, said businesses will experience an increasingly complex relationship with the environment over the next two decades, and as such will need to develop business plans that take account of climate change and other environmental pressures.

“Without action and strategic planning, risks will multiply and opportunities will be lost,” he said in a statement.

“Corporations are recognising there is value and opportunity in responsibility beyond the next quarter’s results – that what is good for people and the planet can also be good for the long-term bottom line and shareholder value.”

Businesses that want to have the competitive edge over their rivals can now show good evidence that they are committed to reducing carbon by obtaining CarbonLow’s recently approved CLEEAR Standard.

Accredited by the Environment Agency as being a Carbon Trust Standard equivalent under the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), CLEEAR uses best practice in carbon measurement and management to benchmark companies’ carbon emissions reduction.

Depending on a business’s energy spend, CarbonLow will look at between one and three years energy data as well as details of travel undertaken in its own cars to decide whether an organisation has made an absolute or relative (against turnover) reduction in its carbon emissions; these are calculated using the latest figures from Defra. The company is also assessed against a set of management criteria to decide if it has incorporated carbon reduction into its day to day business.

Using methodology based on the Carbon Trust Standard Rules and with independent external verification, the CLEEAR Standard is robust way of evidencing a company’s carbon reduction journey.

CarbonLow’s CLEEAR Certification Manager Molly Warwick said:

“We think the CLEEAR Standard is a good way for a business to get serious about reducing carbon, whether or not they are in the CRC.

“Businesses are increasingly being asked to provide carbon credentials in tenders and pre-qualification questions.

“It is also a chance to have a look at energy data and assess whether the management is factoring carbon into its business practices.

“Whilst assessing for CLEEAR we can also advise on how to cut carbon and show businesses that this almost always leads to monetary savings in the long run.”

CLEEAR can be used by a CRC Participant as an early action metric under the CRC.

For more information about CarbonLow’s CLEEAR Standard see www.carbonlow.co.uk/CLEEAR or call 0845 634 6071