WRI Publications Feed: Walking the Talk: WRI’s Sustainability Initiative

WRI 2010 Organizational Greenhouse Gas Inventory

Sarah Parsons — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:24:20 -0400

WRI’s 2010 inventory revealed emissions of 4,309 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (mt CO2e). This is 2.3 times the 2009 inventory of 1,326 mt CO2e. This increase is mainly attributed to the inclusion of scope 3 accounting, based on WRI’s recently published GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard. Previous inventories included emissions from select scope 3 categories (namely business travel and employee commuting), but the 2010 inventory has been expanded to include all relevant scope 3 catego¬ries including purchased goods and services, waste generated in operations, fuel- and other energy-related activities, and end-of-life treatment of sold products. Emissions from these four additional categories account for 67 percent of WRI’s 2010 inventory.

This report also introduces WRI’s new abso¬lute greenhouse gas reduction targets. As the 2010 inventory is WRI’s most comprehensive thus far, 2010 will be used as the base year for our new 2020 emissions reduction targets:

50 percent reduction in scope 2 emissions from purchased electricity;
20 percent reduction in scope 3 emissions from business travel; and
20 percent reduction in all other scope 3 cat¬egories (specifically, purchased goods and services, employee commuting, waste generated in operations, fuel- and other energy-related activities, and end-of-life treat¬ment of sold products).

Finally this report describes examples of WRI’s other sustainability initiative activi¬ties, including our first nitrogen footprint assessment. WRI’s 2009 GHG inventory is included as an appendix in this report, and previous inventory reports can be found in the “Downloads” section above.

WRI's Annual Carbon Dioxide Inventory Report

admin — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

This report presents WRI’s carbon dioxide (CO2) inventory for calendar year 2008. It summarizes emission sources included in the inventory, calculation methodologies, and trends, and highlights WRI’s role in the completion of a green roof space at our Washington, DC office building.

WRI’s total emissions for 2008 were 1,263 metric tons of CO2. This represents a 29% increase above our (recalculated) 2003 base year emissions. WRI has committed to offset its emissions to achieve its goal of a “net zero” emissions balance every year. For 2008, WRI purchased credits compliant under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol, known as certified emission reductions (CERs). These credits were sourced from three different projects in China and India. Details of WRI’s offset purchases for 2008 can be found on page 7 of the report.

WRI’s CO2 Emissions: 2003-2008
Metric Tons CO₂	2003*	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Scope 2
Electricity	459	461	423	431	479	515
Scope 3
Air travel	400	474	464	468	566	636
Employee commuting	122	97	90	91	87	112
Total Emissions	981	1,032	977	990	1,132	1,263
Per Capita Emissions	7.55	7.59	6.74	6.83	7.08	7.42

* Base Year: 2003

Switching to Green: A renewable energy guide for office and retail companies

admin — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Switching to Green: A Renewable Energy Guide for Office and Retail companies is a practical resource for companies that want to “green” their energy supply but don’t know how. More than 70 percent of electricity in the United States is generated using fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. The environmental impacts from this generation are considerable, ranging from air and carbon pollution to the myriad consequences of mining and drilling for fuel. Obtaining energy from clean, renewable resources-“green power”-can provide both environmental and economic value, and a growing number of American companies are making the switch.

Although many types of green power are not difficult to procure, the overwhelming amount of information available can make this confusing to do, especially for newcomers. Accordingly, Switching to Green was designed to cut through the clutter and provide the essential information for companies wanting to “green” their energy supply. It is intended specifically for office- and retail-based companies and organizations. Examples include financial institutions; real estate, retail, law, and publishing firms; universities; and nonprofit organizations. The readers of this guide do not need an energy background to understand the information provided.

Switching to Green draws heavily on the lessons and publications of the Green Power Market Development Group (http://www.thegreenpowergroup.org/).

Hot Climate, Cool Commerce: A Service Sector Guide to Greenhouse Gas Management

admin — Tue, 02 May 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Climate change is a global challenge with serious consequences for our social and economic infrastructure as well as the natural environment. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that cause climate change are emitted mainly from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. Because heavy industry is a leading source of GHG emissions, most of the business-focused programs responding to the problem emphasize participation by “emitters”, manufacturers and utilities. Action by industry alone, however, is not enough. Long-term solutions require emission reduction efforts by the entire economy, and this publication addresses service-sector companies such as banks, law firms, retailers, and real estate managers. Even though they are not considered large emitters, these companies do emit GHGs and can help mitigate climate change through changes in their energy use and the products and services they offer.

Service-sector companies contribute to climate change through their electricity use, heating, cooling and travel. They have an opportunity to influence their operations, supply chains, customers, employees and other stakeholders to help change those behaviours necessary to curb the most dangerous effects of climate change. This guide provides a brief overview of climate change science and expected impacts, the connection between climate change and the service sector and discusses the business case for action. This is followed by the core of the guide which is a practical, step-by-step manual for service-sector businesses ready to begin responding to climate change.

Working 9 to 5 on Climate Change: An Office Guide

admin — Sun, 01 Dec 2002 00:00:00 -0500

Working 9 to 5 on climate change: An office guide is based on the experiences of the World Resources Institute with its CO2 reduction commitment and will help other office-based organizations understand climate change and the practical steps they can take to measure and reduce their CO2 emissions. Readers of Working 9 to 5 on climate change will discover tips on how to gain organizational support for a climate commitment, find out the information they need to calculate their CO2 emissions and set a reduction target, and receive suggestions on how to reach it.

Four simple calculation tools also accompany Working 9 to 5 on climate change that can be customized to the needs of individual offices. Each tool contains simple instructions and examples to facilitate understanding of the tool. Using data input by the user, the tools calculate the following:

CO2 emissions from fuel used for heating & transportation (Excel, 98 Kb) (direct emissions)
CO2 emissions from purchased electricity (Excel, 67 Kb) (indirect emissions)
CO2 emissions from business travel by air, train, bus & car (Excel, 113 Kb)
CO2 emissions from employee commuting (Excel, 177 Kb)

The Guide is written for non-technical staff at small and medium-sized office-based organizations. It provides an introduction to climate change and step-by-step guidance on how to calculate, manage and reduce an organization’s CO2 emissions. While based on WRI’s own experience in its CO2 reduction commitment, it also draws on and is consistent with WRI’s GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard.