From Carbon Neutral to Climate Positive: The first workshop
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During the BSR conference in New York we arranged a workshop (actually Ann-Sofi Gaverstedt did most of the work and without her it would not have happened). It was a really interesting event and both Olle from IKEA and Pierre from HP made presentations that more people should see as they clearly showed that some companies already provide positive climate contributions and can do much more with the right incentive.
Both IKEA and HP noted that no stakeholder, i.e. NGO, media, investors,policy maker, think tank, had asked them for their positive impact before the collaboration with WWF and its climate innovation initiative led by Dennis Pamlin. All available tools and initiatives only focused on them as sources of emissions. This experience was echoed by the other companies participating.
Pankaj from WRI did a really interesting presentation about the next generation of reporting guidelines. With an introduction of secondary effects (that would include the consequences during the use phase, e.g. reduced traveling using laptops) a fantastic opportunity would exist for to assess the climate impact of products and services during the use phase (and not just the emissions associated with the use phase). He also made it clear that avoided emissions are outside the risk scope for the GHG protocol, one is part of a climate risk agenda the other could be seen as a climate opportunity agenda.
Below is the invitation and the list of participants (some titles are not updated).
From Carbon Neutral (scope 1-3) to Climate Positive (avoided emission)
Exploring the next steps for proactive climate work in companies
In a time when leadership and proactive work is needed WWF would like to invite you to a workshop where we approach companies as part of the climate solution – instead of the problem – and explore what this would imply beyond rhetoric. The focus for the workshop is to explore the next generation of climate reporting and strategies for companies that want to give an overall positive climate contribution.
If you are interested you are welcome to a closed informal session to discuss two things;
First, how companies can and should assess and increase their positive climate contribution in society, i.e. how they contribute to reduced emissions in society. WWF is exploring the concepts of “Climate Positive” and “avoided emissions” . The first represents a situation where a company is contributing more to reductions in society than it is emitting and the second is the assessment of the impact in society. This would acknowledge that the focus must be on the overall reduction in society and that some companie, including start-ups, might have to increase its own emissions in order for the global reductions to be sustainable and efficient.
Second, how a strategy for delivering this could look like for a company and what collaboration between stakeholders that is likely to deliver on a Climate Positive/avoided emission agenda.
Objective and expected outcomes
Explore the opportunities for companies assess avoided emissions, for leaders to become “Climate Positive” and the interest for this. Discuss the pros and cons with avoided emission and a Climate Positive approach. Explore opportunities to calculate the avoided emissions and Climate Positive contribution, how rewards for these contributions could be developed and strategies to deliver, etc..
Format
A small informal workshop with maximum 20 leading thinkers in the area.
Participants:
Organiser and project leader: Dennis Pamlin, 21st Century Frontiers (x-Global Policy Advisor at WWF)
Darrel Stickler, Global Supply Manager Board-Mount Power Products, Cisco
Jonathan Shopley, Executive Director, The CarbonNeutral Company
Pankaj Bhatia, Director, GHG Protocol Initiative, World Resources Institute
David Rich, Associate in the Climate and Energy Program, World Resources Institute
James Farrar, Vice President Corporate Citizenship, SAP
Susan Popper, Senior VP of Integrated Marketing Communications, SAP
Pierre Delforge, Worldwide Energy and Climate Programme Manager, HP
Mikael Blommé, CSR Department, HM
Bryan Jacob, Environmental Technologies Manager, The Coca Cola Company
Henrik Sundström, VP Group Sustainability Affairs, Electrolux
Steve Lippman, Director of Environmental Engagement Strategy, Microsoft
Tomas Bergmark, Head of Social & Environmental Affairs, IKEA
Olle Blidholm, Development Manager, Social & Environmental Affairs, IKEA
Mike Baker, Store Manager, IKEA Brooklyn US
Lisa Davis, Environmental Manager, IKEA US
Tracey Kelly, PR Manager/Assistant to Country Manager US, IKEA US
Matthew Banks, Senior Program Officer - Climate Change, Business & Industry Program, WWF US
Lizzie Schueler, Director - Business & Industry Program, WWF US
Cecilia Stenström, Corporate Communication Manager, WWF Sweden
Ann-Sofi Gaverstedt, Project Manager Climate & Business, WWF Sweden
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During BSR I also participated in a panel "Is IT So Green?" with
and
, from Microsoft. It was a good session and Rick and some good concrete numbers on his slides.