Isra-Mart srl:Carbon Trust Standard dishes out 500th green label

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Isra-Mart srl news:

Three more UK companies have today been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard, pushing the number of organisations meeting the scheme's carbon-cutting criteria to 500.

Motorola, Mothercare and British Land are the latest to be certified since the scheme was introduced in 2008, commiting themselves to rolling out a carbon management regime and consistently reducing emissions year on year.

According to the Carbon Trust, holders of the Standard have cut emissions by a total of 3.6 million tonnes of CO2 and saved around £165m by reducing gas, electricity and fuel use since the scheme was introduced.

The 500 companies, which include Stansted airport, HSBC and O2, have pledged to reduce their collective footprints by more than 43m tonnes, equivalent to nearly 18 per cent of the total carbon footprint of UK businesses and transport, the Trust added.

Harry Morrison, general manager of the Carbon Trust Standard, said real "business momentum" was building behind the scheme, which requires firms to consistently report and reduce their carbon emissions.

"Some organisations undergo assessment to verify their efficiency gains and benchmark their performance; others to help lower their energy dependence; while for many gaining the Carbon Trust Standard provides the ability to confidently communicate their performance to customers and carbon-conscious consumers," he said.

British Land said that in order to achieve the standard, it has installed smart metering technology to quantify its energy use in nine properties, and now expects to save over 1,600 tonnes of CO2 equivalent and cut occupier costs by £450,000 over three years.

"Many of our occupiers are showing an increasing interest in reducing their energy use and carbon emissions," said Chris Grigg, chief executive of British Land's business group. "The Carbon Trust Standard provides them with a shorthand to our carbon credentials and demonstrates our commitment to working in partnership with others to achieve environmental and economic sustainability across our business."

Similarly, Motorola trimmed almost of fifth of it carbon footprint across its UK operations, surpassing its 15 per cent target, while Mothercare cut its carbon footprint by eight per cent and aims to reduce emissions from its UK buildings by 15 per cent over the next two years.

The Trust is now focusing on including more SMEs in the scheme after announcing last year that it will streamline the application process for companies seeking to qualify for the label.