An Ipswich-based commercial printing company has
implemented accounting-basedcarbon emissionscalculation software
as part of its initiative to reduce its environmental
impact.
Healeys Printers will use the software to calculate, monitor and
reduce its carbon emissions to benefit the environment and
demonstrate its green commitment to customers.
The software was developed by
Access Accounting in consultation with the
Carbon Trust and the government's environmental agency,
Defra.
The calculator works by capturing carbon-related data from every
financial transaction in the business, such as electricity accounts
or travel expenses, and then references government guidelines to
work out how much carbon is being produced.
The software keeps a running total of a company's carbon
emissions expressed in kilograms or tons and includes reporting
functionality to identify what activities are contributing most to
the organisation's carbon footprint.
Alastair O'Reilly, managing director for Access Technology
Group, said, "Using the system, we were able to see that as much as
20% of our carbon footprint last year was generated by just two
events that involved flights for staff and resellers."
The software supplier launched the carbon emissions module as a
standard and integrated part of its Dimensions accounting package
at the Softworld Exhibition 2008 in London last week.
The module is aimed at attracting customers with a green agenda,
but is also available as an update to existing customers to enable
them to calculate their carbon score retrospectively.
Healeys Printers' carbon initiative will complement its
programme to achieve certification in terms of the ISO 14001
environmental standard by May 2008.
Phillip Dodd, managing director of Healeys Printers, said that
although the ISO standard established environmental credentials, it
did not enable continual improvement.
"This software provides a tool to measure our carbon emissions
and set annual targets for reducing those levels without the
expense of getting involved with external consultants and
assessors," he said.
As a standard part of an accounting software package, Dodd said
the carbon module would enable smaller companies that could not
afford the ISO certification to demonstrate environmental
commitment without extra expense.
John Beech, managing director for Access Accounting, said there
was a growing financial as well as moral imperative to reduce
carbon emissions.
"Increasingly taxes are being levied on high carbon emitting
activities, so the ability to manage them down makes financial
sense," he said.