Latest News from Green 2020

The Final Countdown to DECs

12th June 2008 - If there have been any government initiatives that have really tested the patience of energy and facility managers in the public sector it is the 1st of October deadline for displaying Display Energy Certificates (DECs) in public buildings.

Public buildings over 1,000 square metres will need to display one of these certificates by the 1st October 2008 or be at risk of......... DOWNLOAD the full press article

Green 2020 Senior Energy Auditor becomes the fourth person in the UK certified to issue Display Energy Certificates.

 30th May 2008 - Today, Green 2020's senior energy auditor became CIBSEs fourth UK consultant to become DECs certified. 

We are very pleased to be one of the first organisations in the UK to have an energy auditor qualified to issue display energy certificates to public sector organisations. This will enable us to begin booking in local authorities, schools, NHS and other government agencies with buildings over 1,000 square metres that need to display energy certificates by the 1st of October this year.

To book one of our certified consultants please call 0207 193 7341 or email us at energycertification@green2020.co.uk

Green Lessons at School

19th May 2008 - Green 2020 made the local news following an educational session at Roundstone Preparatory School in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. The lesson on Climate change was given to over sixty students and included some vital homework that required the support and help of parents. Green 2020 works closely with the C-Change Trust who are currently putting together the national Carbon Busters education programme for 11 to 16 year old which is due to launch this year.

Display Energy Certificates become reality

15th May 2008 - Green 2020's senior energy auditor stated today that the trials being conducted with the DECs software is near completion and that Green 2020's consulting team will be ready to support all government agencies look to implement DECs across their estates.

However, it is important to bear in mind that there will be a surge of organisations looking to get the audits done and to get the DECs in place by the 1st October deadline so it is imperative that organisations contact Green 2020 as soon as possible to book our consultants in. More details can be obtained from the DECs section of this website or by contact us by email at energycertification@green2020.co.uk

Green 2020 provides lead article in Sustainable FM on sustainable procurement

28th April 2008 - Sustainable FM magazine a specialist magazine for the facilities management sector has produced a number of articles on sustainable procurement with the lead article produce by Green 2020.

To read the magazine and article (P36) click here

Green 2020 secures two major clients in the first quarter 2008

21st April 2008 - Green 2020 has secured two major clients in the first quarter of 2008.

Both organisations are recognised global brands, the first in the pharmaceuticals sector and the second in financial services.

Much of the work is centred around carbon footprint data collection, policy, strategy and energy management and both clients represents an important step forwards for the company in 2008.

"We have a particularly strong presence in the financial services sector as we are seen not only as environmental specialists but also cost management specialists with our historical pedigree of supply chain and procurement expertise. These two clients represent the direction that we are taking the company as we have found ourselves becoming an ideal environmental improvement delivery partner for global corporations".

Green 2020 sponsors the Institute of Directors annual conference

21st April 2008 - Green 2020 have become one of the sponsors of the IOD annual conference to be held at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on the 30th April.

"We are providing all delegates a co-branded Business Leaders Handbook on "Making your business Green" which has been designed with support from EDF Energy and Ricoh Europe so that the 2,500 delegates and business leaders have a difinitive guide on how to implement green strategies into their businesses however large or small".

The total circulation of the guide is expected to be 200,000 and is now available.To get your free copy of the Busness Leaders Handbook email us at info@green2020.co.uk

Green 2020 working with ProcServe to Lower Carbon Emissions in the Supply Chain

Environmental Consultancy helps eProcurement provider to ‘green up’ its suppliers

5th February 2008 - Green 2020 Partners with The C-Change Trust to Offer alternatives to Offsetting

Press release. 1700 GMT Trowbridge UK

Green 2020 Limited a UK based global environmental supply chain consultancy and the c-change trust a UK based not for profit charity have formed a strategic partnership to expand the Carbon Busters education programme for the young as an alternative carbon offsetting programme for multinational companies and SMEs.

The carbon offset market will be worth £2 trillion a year by 2012. It is therefore understandable that myriads of companies are now offering this service, but with little or no regulation it has lead to the market facing tough scrutiny. Most offset schemes are in developing countries where investment goes a lot further, but there are real uncertainties about the life expectancy of some of these projects.

Carbon Busters is a programme with a real wake up call about the impact our lifestyles are having on the planet. Melanie Merrill, who featured in ITN’s ‘Green Life’ programme in 2006, incorporated what she learnt about climate change into her work, and now runs Carbon Busters, a climate change awareness programme for young people aged 7 – 16. Melanie decided to focus on young people because, although climate change is being delivered through the curriculum, teachers have very little time to cover such topics in great depth and ultimately Melanie wanted to give young people a voice so that they too can engage in the fight to tackle climate change.

Young people get to think about their every day life, and the energy they use (particularly in their own contexts). And then they come up with youth friendly solutions on how they can reduce their energy use. Education has to be embedded within modern day youth culture with messages that young people clearly understand and can relate to. The joy of carbon Busters is it is offered free to schools and sponsored by business.

Philip Emsley a Director of Green 2020 stated that “We find some businesses are becoming sceptical about offsetting and are unclear as to how much of their investment actually goes into projects that offer short term environmental benefits. When we were introduced to the c-change trust we were impressed by the Carbon Busters programme that has been designed to educate school children on climate change and the importance of children playing their part. We felt education at an early age would deliver significant benefits to not only the future of our environment but also in terms of influencing their parents into doing something positive”.

Jonathan Ekin Director of the c-change trust said “We are very pleased to be working with Green 2020 due to the nature of their fast growing corporate client base and the increasing interest in alternatives to traditional offsetting programmes. The partnership will give us the opportunity to grow the programme nationally. The programme has been piloted in 5 schools and we are looking to run it in 189 primary schools across Somerset. We expect the net positive effect on environment to be in the region of 10 million tonnes of CO2 by the end of 2010”.

Once a business has signed up to the c-change trust a significant proportion will be invested into projects that reduce emissions, including the Carbon Busters education programme which will have a direct benefit right here in the U.K.

About the c-change trust

The c-change trust enable businesses to acknowledge their carbon emissions through charitable donation. Based on £10 a tonne, they will fund 3 key areas areas fundamental to tackling climate change right here in the UK. Green Spaces - Re-establishing, planting and maintaining urban and rural Green Spaces around the UK for public use. Education - Carbon Busters - a nationwide schools programme designed to raise children with a greater connection to their environment and their impact on it.Sustainability - UK based Renewable Energy projects. From wind-power to hemp brick production.

Contact: Jonathan Ekin
Tel: 0117 954 2474
jonathan@thec-changetrust.org
www.thec-changetrust.org

24th January 2008 - EU Agrees Renewable Energy Strategy

EU states will have to embrace wind, solar and hydroelectric power. European Union leaders have agreed to adopt a binding target on the use of renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, officials say.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Europe was now able to lead the way on climate change. The 27 EU states will each decide how they contribute to meeting a 20% boost overall in renewable fuel use by 2020.

The measures could include a ban on filament light bulbs by 2010, forcing people to switch to fluorescent bulbs. The bulbs last longer but more are more expensive to buy. In another key measure, agreed on Thursday, EU leaders said they would cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2020. BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs says there is an air of real achievement in Brussels.

But, he says, the compromises over each nation's share of the burden in reaching the targets have yet to be negotiated, meaning the hard decisions may still lie ahead.

see the rest of this story BBC NEWS

14th January 2008 - US School Teacher takes the Internet by Storm

US high school teacher Greg Craven posted on You Tube a video on a compelling argument that warns us about climate change and successfully argues the case for action over in-action.

Greg Craven's video has been watched by well over 4 million people and has been described as the most compelling argument for taking action over climate change. Green 2020 believe this video is probably one of the simplest and most effective messages seen to date that will certainly sway most of the sceptics but probably still be a difficult pill for economists to swallow.

To view the video and judge for yourself click HERE  (this link is not alaways available due to the high demand)

28th December 2007 - Tom Wilson represents Green 2020 in Scotland

Tom Wilson joins Green 2020 to represent and promote Green 2020 services across Scotland's public and private sectors.

Tom has specialised in the fields of procurement transformation, supplier development and e-enabled solutions for more than 20 years. As Programme Director for the Internationally acclaimed eProcurement Scotl@nd Programme. Tom provided thought leadership on the subject matters of : supplier adoption and development, purchase-to-pay, e-Invoicing and e-enabled payments. He has authored numerous white papers and articles : Digitising the Purchasing Cycle, Seamless Purchase-to-Pay processes and the Zanzibar White Paper on e-Invoicing. Tom has presented on e-Procurement and e-Invoicing at International Conferences in : Australia, Singapore, Bahrain, France and Germany.

"By bringing my wealth of experience to Green 2020 we are able to couple the procurement agenda and the sustainable supply chain agenda together to be able to provide clear guidance and expertise across Scotland on the whole climate change, carbon and energy management programme" said Tom.

Green 2020's Directors are extremely please to officially welcome Tom on board even though Tom has been a supporter of the work done by Green 2020 since its inception.

19th November 2007 - International Panel on Climate Change release new Report

Report from Environmentalleader.com

The United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued its fourth report (video, audio, and slides here) saying that worldwide carbon emissions must stop increasing within seven years and greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 50 to 85 percent in about four decades, The Washington Post reports. If not, as many as 25 percent of the planet’s species will be killed from global warming.

Reaching the goals would require a drastic reworking of construction, industry, transportation, and agricultural practices. By 2050, stabilizing emissions would slow the average annual global economic growth by less than 0.12 percent, AP reports.

Global warming is “unequivocal,” according to the study, as reported by AP. Temperatures have risen 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit in the last 100 years. Eleven of the last 12 years are among the warmest since 1850. Sea levels have gone up by an average seven-hundredths of an inch per year since 1961. The report also finds that human activity is largely responsible for warming. Global emissions of greenhouse gases grew 70 percent from 1970 to 2004. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is far higher than the natural range over the last 650,000 years.

Current emissions already are nearing the limit required in 2015 to limit the warming to 2 degrees Celsius, but even at that threshold, the seas will continue to swell for centuries from thermal expansion and meltwater from ice caps and glaciers; the oceans will turn more acidic; most coral reefs will become lifeless expanses; floods and storms will increase; and millions of people will be short of the water they need, the WaPo article says.

If the world misses that target and does not stabilize carbon dioxide emissions until 2030, for example, the planet’s temperature will increase by as much as 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit above 2000 temperatures.

“This is a wake up call for the whole world. Britain has led the way, the first climate change bill in history, now the rest of the world must follow,” British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said from London, according to Voice of America. “And at Bali in the next few weeks we need a climate change agreement that is global, that is comprehensive, that is radical and meets our ambitions that we have a 50 percent cut in carbon emissions around the world and we will do even better than that.”

The IPCC does not recommend specific policies, but an early Guardian story based on a draft summary says that report introduces an “effective carbon price signal.” It says a carbon price of between $20-$80 per tonne by 2030 should be enough to limit the expected temperature rise.

The latest report will form the basis for policy makers when they meet next month in Bali, Indonesia.

This IPCC final report summarizes and integrates the most significant findings of three sections of a climate-science review that were released between January and April, The New York Times reports. Because the data had not previously been reviewed as a whole, scientists said the synthesized report was more explicit, creating new emphasis and alarm.

The first section of the report had covered climate trends; the second, the world’s ability to adapt to a warming planet; the third, strategies for reducing carbon emissions.

The Guardian has a graphic (PDF) illustrating how the earth might heat up by 2099.

Click HERE to access the Reports

14th November 2007 - Knowledge Sharing Forum launched

Green 2020 is pleased to announce the launch of it;s knowledge sharing forum for environmental professionals, acedemics, energy managers and supply chain professionals.

"We launched the forum to provide a safe haven for professionals working in the environmental space to share knowledge, experiences and also keep up to date with changes in all things Green".

The forum has a strict code of conduct as it does not allow consultancies to sell services or promote products on the site, "it is purely about the sharing of knowledge".

The forum can be found at www.green2020forum.com

3rd October 2007 - Green 2020 Appoints Tony Davis as Financial Advisor

Green 2020 are pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Davis FCA as Finance Advisor

Tony has over 30 years experience and has been involved at top level with small, medium and large businesses. In fields as diverse as market research, advertising, publishing, sales and marketing, retailing and Information Technology Tony has successfully brought his skill and experience to bear. His appointment will enable the management team to concentrate on a well structured and financially stable growth strategy for Green 2020.

17th September - Green 2020 to Exhibit at the Low Carbon Innovation Exchange in Harrogate on the 24th October.

Green 2020 will be exhibiting at the Low Carbon Innovation Exchange at the Harrogate International Conference centre on the 24th October. The Low Carbon Innovation Exchange is a unique networking event that stimulates the deployment of technologies to reduce carbon emissions and drives forward innovation and best practice in the transition to a low carbon economy.

Executives from private and public sector organisations participate to share best practice, foster professional networks and develop actionable ideas to reduce carbon emissions.

Prior to the event, all participants create their own networking programme of roundtable discussion groups and pre-arrange meetings in order to progress their own plans for carbon reduction initiatives. To find out more go to www.carbon-innovation.com

13th August 2007 - Green 2020 becomes influential member of ESCI's Carbon Council Steering Committee

Advance notice: Green 2020 Limited has become a Platinum member of the European Supply Chain Institiute's (ESCInst) Carbon Council. The Council has been set up by ESCInst to help organisations across Europe develop and promote strategies for effective Carbon Management in the Supply Chain.

"This is a significant development for Green 2020 as it allows us to become an influencing member of the Council in terms of guidance and support for government and industry across Europe as well as be able to promote our solutions and services to all the Institute's members." Philip Emsley Green 2020 Ltd

 To find out more contact us or go to www.escinst.org.

14th June 2007 - Advisory Board Grows in Strength

Green 2020 Ltd secures a high profile industry leader onto it's board of advisors bringing the advisory team up to five influential names in the environment and sustainability space. Details to follow soon.

April 27th 2007 New product to launch in December 2007

Probably one of the most exciting product launches in the purchasing professions history is planned to take place later in 2007. A product that will transform the way that purchasing professionals buy goods and services. It is set to take the World of purchasing and the supply market by storm.