Carbon Trust Standard celebrates century of certificates

A year on from the launch of its high-profile certification scheme, the Carbon Trust yesterday announced that HSBC has become the 100th firm to attain its Carbon Trust Standard.

The government-backed company said the certification of HSBC means that organisations carrying the standard have now delivered more than 600,000 tonnes of carbon emission reductions in the past year, amounting to more than £50m in energy bill savings.

Launched in June 2008, the standard is awarded to firms that commit to measure, manage and reduce their carbon footprint year on year, in line with guidelines set out by the Carbon Trust.

The company said that the initial focus on certifying large blue chip firms such as Asda, Tesco, O2 and Eurotunnel meant that three per cent of the total carbon footprint of UK businesses and transport could be accounted for by organisations carrying the standard.

Controversially, companies that obtain the standard will receive extra credit in the carbon league tables, which will be published from next year as part of the government's Carbon Reduction Commitment cap-and-trade scheme.

The proposals to link the CRC and the Carbon Trust Standard have attracted criticism from some businesses, such as BSkyB and BT, which have argued that the standard fails to adequately reflect firms' emission reduction efforts, particularly in the field of renewable energy investment.

However, despite opposition in some quarters, Harry Morrison, general manager of the Carbon Trust Standard Company, said the organisation was expecting a large up tick in the number of firms looking to attain the standard.

"In just one year, we're proud to have certified 100 UK businesses, but we expect this number to double over the next year as more businesses prepare for the CRC in 2010," he said. "By achieving the standard, organisations will not only be in good stead for the CRC's first league table but will also be in a much stronger position to develop a long-term strategy to reduce their environmental impact year on year."

The company added that it was doubling the number of assessors that support businesses aiming to collect the carbon data they need to qualify for the standard from 24 to 48.