The Science Based Targets initiative seems certain to allow carbon offsetting for a least part of the journey to net zero. This is a change from the organisation’s previous stance that supports carbon elimination rather than substitution. A final announcement about the extent to which carbon offsetting will be allowed is promised for July. The news has already created uproar among the organisation’s staff who accuse the organisation of allowing larger companies to buy their way to net zero. SBTi has previously rejected the use of offsetting.
SBTi has become a major force for carbon reduction thanks to the transparency that is the cornerstone of its approach. Companies signing up make declarations about their commitment to carbon reduction and the speed of transition which are made public and are used to measure the rate of progress.
A growing number of print companies have signed up including Encore Envelopes, Clays and CPI Books, Denmaur Independent Papers and most recently Pureprint.
The change will affect how a company cuts its Scope 3 emissions, that is emissions generated from the products that it has to buy in and where emissions are outside its direct control. For print this will include the paper and other consumables it uses. Scope 1 and Scope 2 are easier to manage, being related directly to emissions generated in-house. Scope 3 covers the carbon emissions generated along the external supply chain and those suppliers may be at different points in their carbon journey. Being able to offset at least some of those emissions would move a company towards its net zero goal faster than suppliers in its value chain.
Greg Selfe, director of the Nero Carbon consultancy, has helped a number of print companies on the measurement process leading to the SBTi declaration, wonders if the effect will be to distort the market. In a post on LinkedIn he says: “The new policy will increase demand for environmental attribute certificates. But can the highest quality providers scale up activities waste enough, or do poorer credits flood the market?
“If companies can start using carbon credits to abate supply chain emissions, what is the motivation for supply chains to cut the Scope 1 and 2 emissions?”
It is when companies put pressure on their suppliers, printers included, that those companies have the incentive to reduce their emissions or risk losing business. “There’s little public exposure to push them to reduce their footprint,” he says.
At this point there is no detail to the proposition. If only a portion of the total were allowed to be offset, and what is offset through external providers is well documented, the scheme might have value.
