24 environment
➠
PCF is being evaluated by a number of leading each company can expect to receive from its suppliers
firms, often in collaboration with NGO’s. Each of these an accurate carbon content for the products it buys. For
companies realised that as the world gets more serious and the time being, those companies leading the way need to
more sophisticated about managing carbon emissions, the do some serious data evaluation to reliably inform their
only useful measure to compare companies on is the total customers how much carbon they are buying. Not only
carbon footprint of the products they supply. do they have to determine how their own carbon emission
A host of leading companies are presently relates to the products they sell, they also need to do so
experimenting with product carbon footprint, believing for most of their suppliers, and suppliers’ suppliers, who
this to be the appropriate measure to compare suppliers have not reached the same level of sophistication.
and manufacturing methods, and stimulating emission We are moving towards a world where carbon is
reductions for their products. As these companies ask constrained, and which will put a price on its emissions.
their raw material suppliers to give them the necessary This is set to be implemented first in the developed
data, they drive the demand for a reliable product carbon economies, as developing nations argue they are morally
footprint up the value chain, and stimulate competition allowed to increase their emissions to enable their current
between their suppliers. growth path. Already, many companies are measuring
n
and/or reporting their carbon emissions.
Tesco: Tesco CEO Terry Leahy has stated that
Along the supply chain, companies will add up the
as a company “...we must help to stimulate the
carbon emissions specifically related to their products and
development of low-carbon technology, and work with
services, thus providing a Product Carbon Footprint, or
our suppliers and others to deliver significant CO
2

PCF, which totals all upstream carbon emissions. This
reductions throughout our supply chain end to end...”.
shift is being driven by some of the most well-known
The firm is leading by example by providing carbon
brands, is supported by NGO’s, and will ultimately
footprints for a number of its products.
n
allow us to compare the carbon efficiency of competing
Wal-Mart: In September 2007, Wal-Mart announced
technologies, companies, and whole value chains.
that it will begin asking its suppliers to measure their
How should forward-thinking executives prepare their
carbon footprint and find ways to reduce it, part of an
companies? We suggest three key actions:
effort by the world’s largest retailer to transform itself
n Determine the product carbon footprint for you
into a more environmentally friendly company.
n
products and services.
PepsiCo: PepsiCo’s Walkers brand is the first major
n Take the first-mover advantage, if still possible.
food brand in the world to display a carbon footprint/
n Start reducing carbon in your company and value
reduction logo on its packs. Walkers has reduced
chain. n
energy use per pack by a third and water use by almost
half.
Dr. Peter J Nieuwenhuizen is a Principal in Arthur D Little’s
We are a long way from an ideal world in which Benelux office in Rotterdam. www.adl.com/prism
risk analysis for low carbon systems
t
he challenge of moving towards a valuable insight to investigate the programmes. from cabin evacuation
a low carbon future requires the most promising systems in terms of research to finding life on mars, from
development and the deployment of a multidisciplinary criteria and to estimate a frost blanket for racecourses to
portfolio of low carbon systems for the their competitiveness, so as to facilitate zero-emission cars, and from the next
power generation sector. their route to commercial operation generation of anti-landmine devices to
the power generation sector, in fact, with benefits for the Uk energy industry a new blood glucose monitor, cranfield’s
is a major source of GHGs emissions, and for the long term needs of the focus is squarely on the application of its
especially in the Uk where it accounts community. research.
for a large proportion of the total co
2
tera methods are being developed the university's areas of
release. for power generation and the oil and expertise include aerospace,
a key question is which options to gas industry in association with two automotive, bioscience, defence,
pursue. the systems envisaged are major players in the energy field. energy, environment, management,
larger and more complex than the cranfield University’s mission is to manufacturing and security – which
current state-of-the-art technology and 'transform knowledge into ingenious makes the university 'uniquely placed
are quite different with each other. solutions in science, technology and for both students and corporate partners
the tera (technoeconomic management'. alike'. n
environmental risk analysis) as a wholly postgraduate institution,
enter 24 or ✔ at www.engineerlive.com/ies
methodology, used for the european cranfield University attracts individuals
aviation industry under the leadership wishing to enrol on masters’, Doctorate cranfield University is based in cranfield,
of cranfield University, will provide and professional development bedfordshire, Uk. www.cranfield.ac.uk
www.engineerlive.com
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