Easier recognition of climate responsibility thanks to CO2-NEUTRAL label

 

Brussels, April 21 - CO2Logic launches CO2-neutral-label.org, the new website around its CO2-NEUTRAL label. It is no coincidence that the independent climate consultancy and certification body Vinçotte do this in response to Earth Day, the international day that highlights climate action and creates awareness about the human impact on the environment. The website emphasizes the importance of certified CO2 neutrality and takes companies and organizations along in the process to also reduce their impact on the environment.

 

Annual custom is April 22 Earth Day. This day will highlight global actions around climate protection and raise awareness of consumer behavior and its impact on our planet. Even now in times of the coronavirus, an initiative like Earth Day is very topical. Deforestation, climate change and loss of biodiversity are, according to researchers at Stanford University, a strong catalyst for pandemics. Rising temperatures also facilitate the spread of mosquito-borne viral diseases such as malaria or dengue fever.

 

Importance of CO2 neutrality

"Fortunately, the measures and factors that help limit environmental risks also reduce the risk of pandemics," says Antoine Geerinckx, founder of the independent climate consultancy CO2Logic, which specializes in the calculation, reduction and compensation of CO2 emissions. “Just think about preventing deforestation, improving consumer behavior, shortening supply chains and reducing pollution. In that sense, Earth Day is the ideal time for us to launch the new website around the label. With the CO2-NEUTRAL label, we want to give not only multinationals but companies and organizations of all major orders that actually take their climate responsibility, the necessary recognition. Giving and receiving recognition is essential so that customers and prospects can purchase in a more climate-conscious manner. Climate responsibility in the form of the CO2-NEUTRAL label thus also provides a competitive advantage. ”

At www.CO2-neutral-label.org, companies (such as Proximus, Spadel, DPD, CMB, Interparking ...) and organizations can find more information about the importance of reducing and offsetting their CO2 emissions. They also gain insight into the step-by-step plan that they can go through together with the CO2logic experts to achieve the label. The label has existed since 2008, has been certified by Vinçotte since 2015 and complies with the international PAS 2060 label for CO2 neutrality.

 

More than 1,679,809 tons of CO2

“Too many companies and organizations are still talking about SDGs and the climate, but are not taking concrete action,” says Antoine Geerinckx. “Those who obtain the label do what they do and show that they are really committed to not passing the costs of their emissions on to society and future generations. Any company that achieves the CO2-NEUTRAL label believes that protecting our planet is a shared responsibility. The CO2-neutral label also provides various competitive advantages, such as strong recruitment appeal for strong profiles, recurring energy cost reduction, advantage in selection tenders, more credibility and a stronger brand. ”

 

In 2019, 128 organizations and companies achieved the CO2 neutral label, good for a local & global reduction in CO2 emissions of at least 1,679,809 tons or a saved cost for society of no less than $ 700,480,222, converted 639,650,519 euros * .

 

Huge climate debt

This social cost of carbon is calculated based on a recent published study and is expressed in various ways related to climate change, such as reduced agricultural yield, damage to human health, lower productivity of the workers, cost of floods, migration ... According to the renowned scientific magazine 'Nature', the 'social cost of carbon' is $ 417 per ton of CO2 emitted, a trend that is confirmed by researchers at Stanford University, among others.

 

Worldwide, between 40 and 50 billion tons of CO2 are emitted per year. This results in enormous climate debt, a cost that is currently being passed on to society and future generations. By becoming CO2 neutral, companies and organizations can take responsibility for this cost and earn the CO2-NEUTRAL label, ”says Antoine Geerinckx.