Aardvark project

Carbon Audit

Location: UK	Client: British Red Cross Society
Date: October 2007	Sector: Carbon Management

Project Objectives

To undertake a base line carbon and Greenhouse Gas audit for the organisation for UK activity and overseas relief work
To use Aardvark carbon management tools to address changes in working practice to reduce costs and associated carbon emissions
To devise a programme to provide tangible offsets in their own projects using recognised UNFCCC methodologies.

Delivery

Aardvark has had a long history of carbon management. Members of the company have sat on the UK ETS steering group when the system was first set up; we manage Climate Change Levy agreements for a number of companies; we trade in carbon on the UK market and we have a dedicated team providing the technical services for new carbon mitigation projects
Importantly we see the main benefit of carbon auditing as a business management tool to assess operating costs, identify reductions and plan and implement low carbon programmes
Costs = energy + transport fuels
Reduce these = Lower Costs + Lower Carbon
Aardvark were invited by The British Red Cross to conduct an assessment of the organisations' carbon and GHG emissions for UK operations and overseas support in their work for emergency relief efforts
This entailed looking at energy data for over 900 properties, business miles in cars, trains, planes and boats and in specialist activities such as hiring in Russian freight aircraft (AN12s and IL76’s)
A breakdown of the various figures were required, along with the methodology so that the calculations could be checked by the International Federation Red Cross’s Climate Centre organisation in Denmark
The second stage was to investigate the reductions that could be made and the targeting that could be achieved both absolute and relative and how this could be rolled out across the organisation. Aardvark determined that substantial savings could be made without affecting services or staffing levels
The third stage of the project was to design off-setting projects in areas where emergency relief activities are inextricably linked to climate
Stages 2 and 3 are now ongoing.