Lessor is partnering with
myclimate to provide low-carbon certificate to clients. Claire Hack
reports.
Go deeper with GlobalData
International technology lessor CSI
Leasing is to launch a carbon offsetting scheme for its customers,
which it claims is the first of its kind in the UK.
The scheme will enable CSI customers to use an
online calculator to find out the size of the carbon footprint of
their leased IT equipment over a three-year lease. Companies can
then pay an appropriate sum towards programmes aimed at generating
carbon-neutral living in developing countries, and will receive a
certificate to verify their action.
It is being run in partnership with
not-for-profit organisation myclimate, the third-largest offset
provider in the world, which invests funds on others’ behalf.
Chris Lloyd, UK sales manager at CSI, said:
“[The scheme] has been designed and authenticated by the University
of Zurich. Customers interested in reducing their carbon footprint
can buy the certificates from CSI and spread the cost over the
course of the lease.”
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By GlobalDataMyclimate was chosen because it promises to put
80% of its income towards carbon offsetting, while only 20% is used
to pay salaries and administration costs. The next highest was 65%
and the lowest was 40%.
“We’re the only organisation doing carbon
offsetting for IT equipment. Depending on what it is, IT equipment
can have a reasonably heavy footprint – particularly older
equipment and also servers,” he said.
Although many machines are now far more energy
efficient than in the past, the amount of energy and resources
required to manufacture them can be relatively high. As
manufacturing becomes cleaner, the emphasis returns to the product
itself and what can be done to reduce its impact on the
environment.
One target group is large retail chains, which
consume large quantities of fuel in deliveries across the UK and
internationally.
“There’s no way to get rid of those activities
they can’t offset, but this is something they can do. Large
retailers also have massive data centres and servers, all of which
require environmentals like air-conditioning. They’re conscious of
the fact they have a heavy carbon footprint, so we think this is
going to be quite big,” Lloyd said.
The scheme will not be used as a sales tool but
rather will be an optional extra.
Lloyd said: “When mainframes first appeared in
the 1970s, they took up the space of a small aircraft and they were
very, very expensive. Computers have come down in price and size
but they still have an environmental impact and no one bothers
calculating it.
“The effects are not horrendous but they’re
measurable, if you look at telephony as well. Everything has a
carbon footprint. We feel it’s the right time. We already do
environmentally-friendly disposals of old equipment and this is
just something else that falls under the umbrella of green IT.”
Potential in other
sectors
Lessors in other sectors have already embraced
renewable energy and are offering finance agreements for items such
as solar panels and elements of anaerobic digestion plants
(see Leasing Life, July 2010).
However, CSI is among the first to offer a programme specifically
aimed at reducing the carbon footprint created by leased
equipment.
Lloyd believes it will not be long before other
industry segments follow suit with similar schemes: “Our interest
is purely IT, but why shouldn’t it move into other industries? It’s
certainly possible. Everything that is made and leased has a carbon
footprint. We think it’s good that everybody’s talking about
it.”
CSI was first approached by myclimate a year
ago and is now completing its training and making final adjustments
to the online calculator, with a view to starting the scheme on 1
August. It will be offered with all new leasing agreements and will
also be available for non-leased equipment.
Myclimate supports and develops projects around
the world which are aimed at replacing fossil fuels with renewable
energy sources, especially in emerging economies.
The carbon offsetting schemes into which the
main part of its income is directed are registered under the CDM
(Clean Development Mechanism) and/or the Gold Standard, which are
the strictest standards for these kinds of projects.
