How Companies are Using the

Carbon Neutral Concept in the USA

15 April 2015, SITRA, Helsinki

Gregory A. Norris

Co-Director, SHINE, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Chief Scientist, International Living Future Institute

Low-Carbon Leadership Examples

• Microsoft– 2012: began charging Internal Carbon fee– December 2013: Publishes Carbon Fee Guide– By 2014: 285 MW wind

• December 2014: CDP report outlines 29 companies with internal Carbon Fee systems

• 2014: More Google wind added, totaling 1 GW• September 2014: 15 companies co-launch “RE 100” with

goal of 100 large companies 100% renewable by 2020• 2015: Amazon 150-MW wind• 2015: Walmart up to 100 MW rooftop solar• November 2015: Apple adds 130 MW solar

• Data for consumer products in US,broken into 253 separate categories,cradle-through use results

• Alert: this could shape a push to go beyond(albeit wonderful) Scope 1&2 Renewable

•“The reality is, you can’t get to zero. That’s the dirty secret.” • - John Rooks

President, the SOAP GroupConsultant to (among other companies) Interface

We’ve Seen That Companies CanGet to On-Site Carbon Neutral

• What about the other 20 ecosystem services provided by a place?

• At Living Future 15, April 1, Janine Benyus outlined what she dubbed “Mission Generous”

Ecosystem Services(UNEP 2005)

Summary of Business Value from (narrow scope) Carbon Neutrality via combination of

lower footprint and sourcing renewables

• Profitability (lower cost electricity now)

• Lower cost risks

– Conventional fuel price escalation

– Carbon tax

• Lower cost of capital

• Brand value, customer loyalty

• Attract and retain talent

• License to operate

Case: Corporate Foot-& Handprinting

Assessed Total Corporate Footprint

– Multiple environmental & human dimensions

Assessed Handprint of changes to BAU

– Footprint reductions

– Employee wellness programs

– Stimulating more insulation use by others

Exploring how to further grow its handprint, with ultimate goal of Net-Positiveon as many impact dimensions as possible

Operations Sustainability

SHINE &ILFI have jointly released

the Handprint CalculatorFree, Web-based; downloadable available

Upload/enter pieces, explore/see the whole

Interactive, what-if, sensitivity/uncertainty

Compare handprints of multiple innovations

Bring Handprinting to life, for yourself and others

UltraShift HV

Product Cost Yearly Fuel Cost Maintenance Cost

Cost ($)

Eaton

Competitor

Fuel Emissions Use of Mineral Oil

Environmental Impact

Eaton

Competitor

Saves customers time and money

through fuel efficiency and maintenance

schedule. Fewer fuel emissions, and no

mineral oil use.

Energy Handprinting

Water heater blankets can reduce standby

heat losses by 25%–45% and save about

4%–9% in water heating costs, allowing for

a pay-off of about a year1.1energy.gov

Design for Ripple Effects

Harness abundance to

create more abundance

Use 9 months savings from 1 donated blanket to:

* Buy and give 2 more blankets

* Support a school activity