Toshiba TEC offsets 100,000 tonnes of CO2
Toshiba TEC UK is celebrating after its pioneering Carbon Zero scheme smashed through the 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) offsetting barrier which has, as a result, helped improve the lives of those in some of the world’s poorest regions. To put this astounding figure into context, it is the equivalent of 46,874 return flights from London to New York, the electricity used in 73,542 houses over the course of a year and the CO2generated from making 2.5 billion cups of coffee.
Toshiba TEC UK is also committed to helping its customers lower their own environmental impact and reduce business waste. An industry first when it launched in 2009, the Carbon Zero Scheme offsets the carbon emissions generated from the procurement, manufacture and delivery of Toshiba devices through a range of Gold Standard projects co-ordinated by CO2balance, a leading global carbon management company.
The Carbon Zero Scheme originated in the UK and has since been rolled out throughout Europe. Each country has the freedom to develop its own scheme variants which accommodate the specific requirements of its market. In the UK, each Toshiba TEC printer, multifunction product (MFP) and auto-ID device is delivered carbon neutral, with the optional ability to further offset the machine’s on-going activities.
Paul Chiplen, Director of Sales and Marketing at CO2balance, said, ‘CO2generated through Toshiba TEC’s manufacturing process has been offset which, as well as preventing carbon emissions, has made a hugely positive impact on thousands of families by providing a cleaner, easier and heathier way of cooking. The Improved Cookstove project is helping villagers in Kenya to reduce their consumption of wood as a fuel by building and providing highly efficient stoves to replace in-efficient, traditional cooking methods. Other initiatives currently underway include fixing of broken boreholes in rural Uganda that supply clean, safe water, as well as work on reducing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. Sustainable management and the protection of the rainforest allow trees to act as a natural sponge, absorbing CO2emissions as they grow.’
Toshiba TEC’s achievement coincides with the 22nd Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22), which will be held in Marrakech in November. It will focus on The Paris Agreement, which comes into force at the same time, and has the aim of achieving a legally binding and universal agreement on measures to address climate change, and aims to keep global warming below 2°C. Initiatives like Toshiba TEC’s Carbon Zero scheme play a massive role in helping governments across the world meet these objectives.
Commenting on this achievement, Toshiba TEC UK’s Marketing Director, Jeremy Spencer, stated, ‘We have always led the way in sustainable practices within the printing solutions sector and I’m delighted that we have reached this significant milestone. Carbon Zero was pioneering at the time it was launched and seven years later it continues to act as a stunning example of what can be achieved through a sustainable approach to business. We are pleased to be one of the heavy hitters when it comes to offsetting a significant amount of CO2and will continue to do as much as we can to enhance our own environmental credentials, and those of our partners.’
Further information is available from Sarah Kochli at Toshiba TEC by calling 0843 2244 944, emailing info@toshibatec.co.uk or by vising the website on www.toshibatec.co.uk
