Please join Carbonetworks and Carahsoft on Thursday, May 13 at 2pm Eastern for our first interactive Customer Best Practices Forum for Sustainability Information Management, during which members of government agencies will learn from commercial companies’ experiences on how to best tackle Executive Order 13514 and energy-related cost-benefit evaluations.

Nathan Smith, Practice Leader at Project Performance Corporation, will speak about their support of the environmental efforts of federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy.

Mike Brown, Director of Sustainability and Legal Projects for Sears will describe how his department is managing refrigerant data to mitigate compliance risk pertaining to the 1990 EPA Clean Air Act, and calculate the carbon impacts of emissions and energy consumption in order to incorporate strategic reduction initiatives.

This 90-minute webinar offers an opportunity both to hear about the unique challenges presented to each customer, and to participate in an interactive discussion to share ideas, strategies, and solutions.

Register now to reserve your space in this first-of-its-kind interactive sustainability web forum, or click here to register for future access to the archived recording.

Sincerely,

Nick Cool
Carbonetworks Government
at Carahsoft Technology Corp
703-871-8544 (Direct)
888-662-2724 (Toll-Free)
nick.cool@carahsoft.com
www.carahsoft.com/carbonetworks

In these times of heightened scrutiny on government spending, it’s more important than ever to choose a solution that will give your organization the results and transparency it needs. Carbonetworks software and services have been implemented at over 8,000 sites around the world, allowing our customers to manage, report and measure their energy and GHG impacts.

We bring this private sector experience and expertise to all federal agencies through our Federal Sustainability Jumpstart Program, the first program of it’s kind for US Federal Agencies. The program enables agencies to comply with Executive Order 13514 with the speed and data accuracy required to manage and reduce their environmental impact, helping these agencies reduce costs, reduce risk, and provide transparency into their progress towards reduction goals.

Of course going green is the right thing to do for our environment and our economy. I got the idea for my own company while studying environmental management in my undergraduate program in the mid-1990s. I firmly believe we must be responsible stewards of the earth and providing business with the proper incentives is the best path to environmental stewardship. But we also must realize that progress on emissions and energy reductions from a policy perspective represents a potential boon for U.S. innovation and business.

This week’s UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen has seen its fair share of press, but what is most compelling about this event is what’s happening on the ground.  In my fourteen years working on Carbonetworks, I have never seen this level of activity in climate change and business – both positive and negative. But it’s the perspective that counts and reveals what is really going on with the business of climate change.

It first hits you at the airport, just steps from your plane. All manner of advertising assails you from every angle, from billboards to announcements to people stopping you in your path to give you their pitch. There was even a guy in green chicken suit. Some of it is great, from respected organizations doing their best to combat climate change. Some of it is awful, with blatant greenwashing from companies that have little, if anything, to do with climate change or its solutions. It was enough to make me a bit angry that this level of greenwashing, and I wasn’t the only one.

A tangible shift has occurred around the public’s approach to climate change and it’s business and politics here at COP15. Tens of thousands of protesters have descended on Copenhagen – some peaceful, some certainly not. But the one thing that binds them with many of the businesspeople and policymakers here is that they are angry. This anger is often focused at business because it is the most visible and accessible component of the climate change talks. At times I almost felt betrayed by many of the activists’ denouncement of business, as I consider myself to have a long-standing and successful commitment to climate change, helping hundreds of businesses around the world do so as well. But people definitely do not feel that enough is being done to help save the environment, and the copious and sometimes offensive green marketing throughout the city has only exacerbated the issue.

But we get to see a lot that most people don’t see. I consider myself very lucky to be involved in COP15 not only because it’s an historic event, but also because my company has been fortunate enough to be included at the center of the process. This gives us a view that most people don’t have the chance to see, and it is this view that I believe shows the true nature of climate change in business behind the marketing, protests, and politics. This week we have spent time with a number of leaders from US and Danish Governments and CEOs of some of the world’s largest companies. In our sessions one thing became very clear: the US government is committed to climate change, and big business is already doing an incredible amount of work in this area and generating tangible results for their business.

The first thing you notice is how well-versed leaders in the Obama administration are about climate change and its financial impacts on the US.  Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke demonstrated an incredible depth of knowledge on the subject in our roundtable sessions and focused on how business can help. I’ve found the same depth of knowledge and commitment to climate change issues in similar sessions with other US leaders such as US Interior Secretary Salazar, White House CTO Aneesh Chopra and others. Secretary Steven Chu put it best at the closing of the Bright Green event when he said “the days of America dragging its heels on climate change is over”. If solving complex issues like climate change is about getting the smartest, most committed people in the room, the Obama Administration is certainly making headway.

Even the US Ambassador to Denmark was onboard. After only a short time on the job, she held a reception at her house with some of the top US companies involved in the Copenhagen event. I learned from these business leaders what their companies have done in carbon reductions, energy savings, and other environmental initiatives and the results may surprise you. I spoke with one large multinational whose carbon and energy efficiency programs have saved the company 20% of their annual operating expense for their shipping business, and expect even more next year. They don’t advertise it; to them it’s just smart business. A Big 4 software firm outlined their plans for a global carbon reporting initiative that will help thousands of companies.  Again, they don’t market it, it’s a way to help these companies and grow their business. A cement giant at the event also walked through how energy and carbon reductions have been part of their business for decades. And without an ounce of marketing.

What’s important here is that perception is driving a lot of the debate around the business of climate change because we make judgments on what we can see and touch. Unfortunately to date, much of this has only been through marketing, media, and sound bites. But when you peel back the onion to see what is really going on, you learn that there is a vibrant and critical movement in the business of climate change whose momentum cannot be stopped – the only question is who will harness it.

This is why COP15 is so important, as it will take these leaders to figure out who will benefit from the biggest revolution to hit business in decades, and which economies will make it happen. We want the smartest guys in the room, and we want them committed. After a week in Copenhagen I can say that this is exactly what the US is doing.

So peel back the onion on the business of climate change and ignore the hype. Look at the companies you buy from, the ones you work for, or the ones that work for you, and see what they are doing to reduce their impact. You’ll likely find that they are doing more than you know. Look at your government leaders and gauge their commitment on climate change, and their approach to growing your business. This can only help our economies on a state, local, and federal level. Global policy and regulations take time, and what’s important is that we stay focused, committed, and engaged in the business of climate change to prosper.

Original article

Positioned as a cross between a mini World Economic Forum and TED talks show, Climate Spark offers a unique place and platform for UN delegates and business people to meet and network each evening during COP15. Exclusive after parties are planned each night, with celebrities and dignitaries. This exclusive business forum is sponsored by Clean World Capital, a clean energy and technology merchant bank specialised in financing cleantech and renewable energy projects. Climate Spark is supported by Climate Consortium, Climate Exchange, World Climate Solutions, British Chamber of Commerce, Danish Industry, Reuters, Cleantech Magazine, and Bright Green.

Call it Hopenhagen if you like, but make no mistake – President Obama’s decision to attend and speak at the United Nations climate conference has significant implications for governments and corporations around the world.

The White House has said the President will speak toward the end of the conference in order to push negotiations over the top, but it is the content of his speech that will determine whether or not he is successful.

The world is looking to the US for guidance, and as the leader of the global economy, a formal US position on climate change carries significant weight with the global community.  President Obama’s delivery of the US position on climate change will likely determine whether the US will play a leadership role in climate change, or surrenders that position to China or European Union.

What’s at stake?  Primarily, America’s ability to capitalize on the economic opportunity of climate change.  To say that nothing will come of Copenhagen is short-sighted. COP15 will undoubtedly have significant impact; however the nature of that impact and how it will affect the US is not yet clear.

The US is known for capitalizing on markets to attract business and innovation, and COP15 represents another moment where it must seize the opportunity  – this time with climate change.  But COP15 also represents a significant risk to US economic growth if it does not act because, for the first time, there are serious contenders abroad.

Progress in Copenhagen could spur breakthroughs in fuel cell, biofuel and solar technologies, allow the manipulation of catalysts at the nano scale, and lead to the invention of a number of other technologies yet to be discovered. Unlike Kyoto however, failure by the US to establish a clear leadership position may not stall the international process as it did before; rather it may open up new opportunities for other countries to take the lead.

In recent months, fast growing nations such as China have signaled commitment to progress on reducing emissions and developing carbon markets, and it is exactly this opportunity they have in mind.

In the 1990s, China was exempted from reductions imposed under Kyoto because the UN considered the country a developing nation, facing economic challenges so serious it could not possibly meet imposed targets. Today, China is transforming its procurement and use of energy and the policies that govern it.  They are investing in wind turbines, nuclear, solar and a host of technologies that reduce their reliance on oil and coal, and diversify their long-term energy strategy in the process. By 2011, China plans to reduce emissions at the level of nearly twice Germany’s annual emissions output.  Impressive environmental goals, but it is clear that economics are driving these decisions.

Of course cleaning up emissions is the right thing to do for our environment and our economy.  I got the idea for my own company while studying environmental management in my undergraduate program in the mid-1990s. I firmly believe we must be responsible stewards of the earth and providing business with the proper incentives is the best path to environmental stewardship.  But we also must realize that progress on emissions and energy reductions from a policy perspective represents a potential boon for U.S. innovation and business.

My company is growing fast because our customers – mostly Fortune 500s – can save money by using our technology to better manage their sustainability metrics (energy, GHG, water, etc). I am proud to say we are a living, breathing example of innovation that is creating “green jobs” .

America has a long and vibrant history of innovation. But without clear direction from policy on climate change, our innovation engine is idle. We need to take charge of our own destiny; companies need government leadership in policy to help pave the way for success, and that’s why Obama’s speech is so critical.

A vacuum has resulted in the absence of leadership since the Kyoto Accord, and has given rise to a false debate regarding whether or not we need to take any action at all. But it is clear that the world needs action from both an environmental and economic perspective. While the science behind global warming will likely always be debated, it cannot be argued that the environment is changing and that the global economy needs a new engine. With clear, aggressive, and comprehensive policy on climate change, we may get to solve both problems with one solution. But as long as we lack clear direction from our leaders, global business will be forced into a holding pattern.

President Obama faces a significant challenge.  It will be difficult for him to make significant and binding commitments on climate change, especially while such legislation is still being debated at home. But if Mr. Obama can successfully channel his ability to gather consensus in Copenhagen, it may pressure Congress to pass binding legislation.

Right now, the US is recognized as the leader in clean tech innovation.  But if clear policy signals are not received from the current administration at COP15, business is not likely to react and the opportunity will be seized by other economies. And the jobs will go with them.

In this light, the US opportunity in Copenhagen is not just about climate change, it’s about remaining at the epicenter of the clean tech economic revolution.  The Obama Administration has the formidable task of ensuring that the US comes out on top, and to demonstrate that what’s good for the environment is also good for the US economy.

Original article

While governments argue over emissions cuts, many firms have already started cleaning up their act, or at least preparing to do so—prompting more and more software firms to offer tools to help. If optimists are right, the market for “carbon-management software” could one day become at least as big as those for other important business applications such as customer-relationship-management (CRM) programs, which brought in revenues of more than $9 billion last year.

Read more

It’s not the American way to sit back and let others dictate directions. John Podesta, the president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, recently said: “Our current national discussion about constraints, limits and the costs of transition overshadows the economic opportunity of clean-energy investments. It is as if, on the cusp of the Internet and telecommunications revolution, debate centered only on the cost of digging trenches to lay fiber optic cable.”

Read more

So what’s at stake at Copenhagen? Leadership. All of the opportunities and risks for the U.S. and its economy rest in this one concept, which is one that could make or break a new U.S. economy and fundamentally shift global economic markets. An economy will eventually emerge as the winner from Copenhagen, and the Obama Administration has the formidable task to break the glass ceiling for business to ensure it is the U.S. that comes out on top

Read more

Obama will speak in Copenhagen on Dec. 9, the first visit to the annual U.N. conference by a sitting U.S. president since George H.W. Bush in 1992, and his speech is likely to be the focal point for the first week of the U.N. Conference.  The fact that President Obama is willing to go on record with reductions seems to indicate confidence that Congress will come to a resolution on a climate bill.  As Carbonetworks prepares to attend Copenhagen, we look forward to getting to hear the President speak on what we’ve long believed to be a critical issue of national leadership for all countries.

With the explosive growth of online transactions and information, data centres supporting everything from financial transactions to health and government records have grown exponentially, doubling in energy requirements and emissions since 2000. Data centres, with thousands of servers, can consume as much energy as large towns. Any organisation with such massive energy consumption will face significant financial liabilities under regulatory schemes, such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment.

The drive for more efficient energy use in this category – “greening the data centre” – can thus result in significant dividends, both financially and in terms of an organisation’s reputation.

In this complimentary webinar, experts from COLT and Carbonetworks explain the CRC league table put forth by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), how the league table drives CRC costs and risks, and how to improve position on the league table in order to reduce liabilities – or even create profit — by reducing your energy consumption. You will come away with knowledge on which Green IT practices have significant impact and which can be less effective. COLT, a leader in data management and sustainability, has partnered with an emissions management company Carbonetworks to share insights on efficient data centres and other enterprise-level strategies to address challenges brought by CRC.

Register Now

The Obama Administration also announced earlier this week that it is investing $3.4 billion to help fund the largest single energy grid modernization in U.S. history.  This money will help to create tens of thousands of jobs across the country.  These jobs include high wage, high skilled opportunities for smart meter manufacturing workers, engineers, electricians, IT system designers, cyber security specialists, data entry clerks, database administrators, analysts and more.

All this adds up to great news for the US economy and environment.  Putting people back to work in a meaningful way was exactly what the stimulus set out to do, and making sure we get this program right will help drive the next wave of innovation to propel us into a cleaner, brighter future.  We at Carbonetworks are proud to be a living, breathing example of a company that is growing fast – and every job we create is a green job.

Meanwhile, a poll released by CNN/Opinion Research Corp shows that 60% of respondents favor a cap-and-trade plan in which the federal government would limit the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that companies could produce in factories or power plants. Thirty-seven percent oppose the proposal, which would charge companies that exceed emissions limits.

As the United States prepares for the Climate Conference in Copenhagen this December, where world leaders will discuss their progress on climate change legislation, it is exactly this kind of momentum that will help best position its leadership. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu was optimistic during the hearings, stating, “When we gear up our research and production of clean energy technologies, we can still surpass any other country.”  The world is moving fast when it comes to clean energy technologies as we hear daily of developments in China, United Kingdom, India and on and on. We must seize on the momentum to move our world in a new direction when it comes to the possibilities these exciting technologies can bring.

Murkowski’s support is timely, as it comes on the heels of Murkowski’s fellow Senators Lindsey Graham (a Republican) and John Kerry (a Democrat) vowing to work together to advance legislation tackling global warming.  Carbonetworks is a staunch supporter of this critical legislation, which in addition to a cap and trade provision, will reduce carbon emissions by 2050 and provide increased investment in alternative energies.

We applaud Senator Murkowski coming forward to share her views on this critical issue, and are enthusiastic about the growing support around climate change legislation. The bottom line is this bill is good for business and good for environment.

The legislation currently under consideration by Congress is critical, and includes provisions to reduce carbon emissions by 2050, a carbon cap and trade provision, increased investment in alternative energies, such as wind and solar, and increased investment in retrofits. Together with companies like Dow Chemical, Nike, Timberland and Starbucks, we made a powerful demonstration to the Obama administration and to Congress that sustainability and smart use of energy are not only good for the planet, but also good for business. We built Carbonetworks around this idea, and we hope that we embody the opportunity that energy technology offers to drive the American economy in the years ahead.

More information on the effort can be found at www.wecanlead.org.  To view Carbonetworks CEO Michael Meehan discussing the issues of climate change legislation on ABC News’ “Ahead of the Curve”, play the video below.

]]> http://blog.enxsuite.com/2009/10/message-to-business-we-can-lead/feed/ 1 http://blog.enxsuite.com/2009/09/introducing-carbonetworks-ghg-jumpstart/ http://blog.enxsuite.com/2009/09/introducing-carbonetworks-ghg-jumpstart/#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:25:49 +0000 Michael Meehan - President & CEO http://blog.carbonetworks.com/?p=90 This week has witnessed a sea change in our field. On Tuesday, September 22, the EPA issued a mandate for greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting. For the first time, large emitters of heat-trapping emissions must collect GHG data under a new reporting system.

The EPA Rule affects suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial greenhouse gases; manufacturers of vehicles and engines; and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHG emissions. For comparison, this threshold is equivalent to the amount of GHG emissions from the annual energy use of 2,200 homes or 4,600 passenger vehicles. Enterprises and facilities in the affected categories will be required to submit annual reports to EPA. The gases covered by the rule include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and other fluorinated gases, including nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and hydrofluorinated ethers (HFE).

Participating enterprises and facilities must collect data beginning January 1, 2010 — that’s less than 100 days from now. The first annual report must be submitted to the EPA by March 31, 2011. This mandate affects nearly 10,000 facilities in the United States, representing approximately 85% of U.S. GHG emissions.

The EPA reporting mandate brings significant challenges: How to implement a systematic process that produces consistent, auditable, and accurate GHG information? How to effectively collect data from disparate systems in geographically dispersed facilities? How to assure your senior management that you meet EPA requirements with marginal risk and cost? The short timeline makes these challenges that much more difficult.

To help you address these challenges, we’ve created Carbonetworks™ GHG Jumpstart: software and services to consolidate and report GHG emissions data quickly, effectively, and economically. Our Carbonetworks™ Information Manager (CIM) product consolidates your GHG data for EPA reporting, and provides a scorecard for measuring EPA GHG compliance at the corporate, business unit, and facility levels. Our integration module, Carbonetworks Extensions, facilities interoperability with a variety of other systems, from spreadsheets to legacy EMIS/EHS, ERP and in-house software, ensuring that you can continue to leverage existing systems. CIM is a fully managed SaaS web application that requires no on-premise software, can be accessed via any modern web browser, and offers robust yet easy to use functionality. (Of course, we do much more than EPA compliance; click here to learn more about the Carbonetworks Performance Management Platform.)

So, what should you do to get started? Here’s a checklist:

1. Familiarize yourself with the materials that the EPA has provided on the mandate, in particular their FAQ, fact sheet, and overview presentation.
2. Review the EPA’s screening tool to better understand how your facilities are likely to be affected.
3. If you think you’ll need to report emissions data to the EPA, register for a free 30 day trial of GHG JumpStart. To learn more, email epa.solutions@carbonetworks.com or call toll free (800) 571-0694.

With over a decade of experience and 6,000 sites implemented to date, Carbonetworks has helped hundreds of customers to manage their GHG data. Our global customers include some of the leading firms in oil & gas, utilities, manufacturing, retail, telecommunications, technology, financial services, and consumer products. We look forward to helping you meet the challenges posed by the new EPA GHG emissions reporting mandate.

Join us to learn how Carbonetworks can take the pain out of CRC Compliance
Date: Tuesday, July 21
Time: 4:00 PM, BST

CRC Reporting isn’t limited to Companies headquartered in the UK; if you have divisions located in the UK your organization could be subject to the reporting mandates that come into effect April 2010.  For example, U.S. companies with operations in the UK that meet the CRC thresholds for electrical consumption will be impacted by the new mandate.

To date organisations have manually gathered data into Footprinting spread sheets and used external consultants. This is expensive, time consuming and does not offer a viable long term strategy.

Now Carbonetworks offers an efficient practical approach to CRC Compliance that reduces administrative cost and improves the ability to identify reduction opportunities through powerful software capabilities.

Carbonetworks collaborates with the Carbon Trust Standard to streamline the CTS Accreditation process through our customized reports.

Carbonetworks, the global leader in GHG, energy, and sustainability software, talks about how best to prepare for the coming CRC Requirements.

Presented by:  Stephen Mooney, VP Corporate Development, Carbonetworks Corporation.  A pioneer in carbon management, Stephen Mooney has worked with both public and private sector organizations to help them understand and manage their carbon strategy. Today Mr. Mooney is VP Corporate Development for Carbonetworks, the global leader in GHG, energy, and sustainability software, and is responsible for strategic business development initiatives for the company. He is based in London UK.

Presented by:  Harry Morrison, General Manager of the Carbon Trust Standard Company.  Mr. Morrison was the Senior Strategy Manager for CTS prior to becoming the GM in 2008, and has previously been with Acturis and MMG.  Harry and the CTS are committed to Supporting businesses and public sector organisations to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard, to communicate their sustainability and to prepare for the CRC.

“The key to enabling CRC compliance is software that automates the requirements while providing intelligent, auditable GHG & Energy information back to the business to help improve the bottom line”

– Carbonetworks CEO, Michael Meehan

Click here to learn more about InnoTech 2009 and the Clean Tech discussion we will be involved in.