ACTION CARBONE

Carbon offsetting and responsible communication

WED, 04 Aug 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Carbon offsetting and responsible communication. Often denounced as “greenwashing”, carbon offsetting is however a powerful tool for companies to engage in responsible activities, on condition that they would operate coherently through their whole actions.

What’s greenwashing?

Since last few years, advertising largely took hold of the growing environment problem, for the best and the worst.
We talk about Greenwashing when a company invests more money and time to promote its green talk through communication and marketing actions, than to implement responsible attempts to reduce the environmental impact of its activity.
More and more initiatives are emerging to denounce this cheating ((Greenwashingindex.com). In 2006, in the United Kingdom, a 4x4 manufacturer included the cost of offsetting in the sale price of its vehicles and bragged about commercializing carbon-neutral vehicles!

The offsetting practice must protect itself from Greenwashing

Action Carbone is very careful when it comes to this kind of opportunistic behaviours since they represent a real threat, not only for its brand image but also for the voluntary carbon market as a whole. As a non-governmental organisation (NGO), GoodPlanet.org must be a trustful and uncompromising partner.
For this to happen, a real screening process is performed upon the companies wishing to offset their activities with Action Carbone. What’s the scope of their activities to offset? Is it relevant to the company’s products or services? Is the offsetting integrated in an overall sustainable-development action?
Furthermore, to improve the guidance, Action Carbone undertakes Carbon Accounting (Bilan Carbone) services for companies wishing to go beyond neutralizing emissions. Finally, Action Carbone briefly evaluates a cost-benefit ratio.
While supporting a non-profit association in France, a company is constrained to legal limitations concerning its donation. Moreover, during its partners’ communication campaigns, Action Carbone assists them on the message given to the consumer and makes sure that it is not just a one-shot action.

Responsible communication at stake

The lack of such a strict regulation of the advertising market slows down the development of a responsible communication. AdWiser, the pioneer group of responsible advertising actors, defines responsible comunication as “a way of communication that gives priority to eco-designed media and use ecological arguments only when it is justified. Further, it refuses the promotion of behaviors that would affect in a negative way the quality of our environment and social relations”.
Although initiatives as Adwiser are worth of existing, they are still fragile. As an evidence of the slow evolution of mentalities, the Bureau de la Verification de la Publicité (French Advertising Verification Office) signed in April 2008 a “Code of Responsible Communication” barely restrictive for the announcers and strongly criticized by defenders of a responsible communication. A company can still present its products as respectful to the environment without any guarantee or security. However, pressure from NGOs and consumer’s defence associations is constantly rising. Moreover, consumers are becoming aware but mostly educated to distinguish the reliability of the message. It’s up to each one of us to find out about the origin, quality and environmental respect of the products we consume.

Responsible carbon offsetting

To include carbon offsetting to a Corporate Social Responsibility policy is totally relevant. When a company offsets greenhouse gas emissions related to its activities, it provides funds for emissions reduction projects. There is definitely a will for a concrete action. The threat is to use carbon offsetting as the unique commitment. The company forgets that the priority to fight against climate change is avoidance of GHG emissions at their source, here in France or wherever the emissions to be offset are taking place.
The ADEME (French Agency for the Environment and Energy Management) launched a code of voluntary carbon market, which is crystal clear towards those who want to offset carbon emissions: they must commit themselves “to refer to the global emissions reduction they execute or plan to execute in the short term”.
Carbon offsetting is a complimentary action, it must be part of a global commitment strategy, therefore associated to other means; for example, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and/or the optimization of the supply chain. Like that, a company presenting its responsible actions would be coherent with its speech and would make the best out of the broad range of benefits in terms of brand image.

To go further, find out the references

Ecocommunication ADEME’s guide

AdWiser report on responsible communication

Eco-responsible communication BVP’s charter

Criticism of the charter

Prisma Press commited to fight against climate change

WED, 08 Jul 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Prisma Presse commits itself to fight against climate change by signing a convention with Action Carbone for the offsetting of its CO2 emissions.
Prisma Presse Group, the second press magazine publisher in France, has more than one initiative in favor of sustainable development. The latest one, is the offsetting of GHG emissions related to plane trips of its employees (over1000) for the year 2007, this represents a total of 750 tons equivalent CO2.

Air France commits itself with Action Carbone

WED, 09 Jun 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Air France commits itself today with Action Carbone. A historical partnership of 5 millions euros for the protection of 500,000 hectares of forest in Madagascar. The project is developed by GoodPlanet.org and entirely funded bu Air France. This is certainly one of the most important project of fight against deforestation supported by a private company.
GoodPlanet.org, the non-profit association directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, is very proud to announce the signature of a big partnership with Air France. 5 million euros will be invested over 3 years to protect 500 000 hectares of Malagasy natural forest. The project will be conducted by WWF Madagascar on the field and will decrease the rate of forests’ disappearance (390 000 hectares) and will help restore certain degraded forests (110 000 hectares).

Furthermore, the project will enhance the living conditions of the local populations by giving them a direct responsibility within the management of forests and natural resources. It will encourage sustainable agricultural practices and will provide participants with additional income generation activities since approximately 70 jobs will be created. Moreover, thousands of beneficiaries, for whom the environment is in their every-day lives, will be affected positively.
This carbon sequestration project has the potential to keep between 61 and 68 million tones of CO2 in the forest and avoid its rejection back to the atmosphere. One of the main objectives of this project is to continue holding this carbon by diminishing the current deforestation rate, which globally accounts for about 20% of our world’s greenhouse gas emissions. GoodPlanet.org, through its Action Carbone program and in cooperation with WWF Madagascar, will develop an appropriate expertise through this project. A series of “green standards” intended to measure the results of carbon sequestration projects will be evaluated. For more information on the project

New Action Carbone website launch

WED, 09 Jun 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Action Carbone launches its new website, more informative and interactive, the site positions the program in the offsetting market.

Particular attention to teaching and learning
Although climate change is better understood, it is necessary to provide concrete and precise information on possible solutions. There is an emphasis on solutions which citizens can incorporate into their daily routine and also on our projects: identifying and monitoring projects, building relationships with NGOs, Alternative Carbone, etc.

Business calculator
We understand that many businesses wish to offset their emissions, but do not always have the necessary funds to carry out a Bilan Carbone™ (Carbon footprint’s Evaluation) of their activities. We therefore propose, free of charge, an online calculator aimed at professionals to quickly measure the impact of travel or conferences.

Internet access to the tool 2.0
At last, the new site includes tools which allow users to follow projects day by day: news of the project’s progress, videos and possibility to pay online….

Action Carbone will attend the SEMD

WED, 13 May 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Action Carbone attends the Environment and Sustainability forum, which will be held at the Brogniart Palace in Paris from June 12th to 14th.

Action Carbone ratifies the ADEME’s code of best practices for voluntary carbon offsetting.

WED, 18 Feb 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Action Carbone ratifies the ADEME’s code of best practices for voluntary carbon offsetting. For more information

1 year of offsetting! Action Carbone celebrates its first anniversary

WED, 11 Oct 2007 13:00:00 GMT

1 year of offsetting! Action Carbone celebrates its first anniversary.