Business News

PaperCo backs Earth Hour “lights off” initiative

Friday 26. March 2010 - PaperCo is supporting the Earth Hour, the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) initiative to get people, organisations and companies to switch off their lights for one hour this Saturday, 27 March, to show that they care about climate change.

“I was approached because I sit on the All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group,” says Veronica Heaven, corporate responsibility director of PaperCo. “We are inviting all PaperCo staff to take part in this lights out hour.
“Saving energy is one of PaperCo’s key goals, highlighted in our recently published Corporate Responsibility Review. We have ambitious targets to cut CO2 emissions by almost 30% against the company’s benchmark 2007 figure.”
In 2007 the company’s CO2 emissions were put at 14,791 tonnes per annum . By 2020 it is committed to lowering that figure to 10,410 tonnes. This year the company has focused on its company car policy, encouraging the use of hybrid and lower C02 emission vehicles. Energy use and lighting has also been a focus and in addition to the first electric 7.5 tonne vehicle delivered to Dixon & Roe, DeliveryCo has introduced teardrop shaped vehicles with better aerodynamics to reduce the carbon output.
In 2009, PaperCo participated for the second consecutive year in the Carbon Disclosure Project at the request of Defra. PaperCo was chosen as one of 20 key suppliers invited to participate in the pilot project with the aim of understanding how business captures and interprets its carbon impacts.
“Environmental concerns remain a hot topic,” says Veronica Heaven. “The impacts are real, public opinion is increasingly green and all businesses need to be aware and actively support environmental initiatives to keep in line with tightening legislation and often also to be considered for business with buyers increasingly concerned to check sustainability credentials.”