Copperleaf Goes Carbon Neutral
The scientific consensus is clear: climate change caused by carbon dioxide and other emissions is an urgent problem. The Earth’s average temperature has already risen by over 1° Celsius since 1880, and if temperatures continue to climb, the results will be disastrous for communities worldwide.
Copperleaf® is dedicated to advancing sustainability and practicing environmental stewardship. Led by Copperleaf’s Green Team, we have kicked off an action plan to eliminate Copperleaf’s carbon footprint by purchasing Gold Standard carbon offsets every year, equivalent to the carbon we generate. In this article, members of the Green Team share what inspired us to set such an ambitious goal and discuss our current and future initiatives.
What inspired the Green Team to look into carbon offsets?
“At Copperleaf, we’re always looking for new ways to become a more sustainable business, especially as we grow as a company. After doing research, we realized that carbon offsetting is the most immediate way to make a positive environmental impact while we continue to work on other ways to further reduce our carbon footprint.”
Copperleaf has committed to remain a carbon neutral business by continually reducing our impact wherever possible and then using Gold Standard carbon offsets to mitigate the rest.
Joseph Gustafson
Implementation Consultant & Green Team Member
Copperleaf
How did the Green Team gain support for this initiative?
“We began by calculating Copperleaf’s carbon footprint through analysis of our company’s travel expenses, office consumption figures, and other business-related expenditures. We ran ‘lunch and learn’ sessions for our colleagues to gain support and presented a proposal to invest in a selection of Gold Standard-certified carbon offsetting projects to the leadership team. We then presented this proposal to the company and conducted a company-wide survey to get feedback on the proposal. The results showed widespread support, so the initiative got the go-ahead!”
How did you select the carbon offsetting projects?
“The projects that Copperleaf invested in this year include:
- a wind power project in Anantapur, India
- a wind power project in Chhattisgarh, India
- a hydroelectric power project in Betulia, Honduras
- a diversified portfolio of other renewable energy projects around the world
We selected these projects because they are geographically diverse and support the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.”
What impact will this have on Copperleaf’s carbon footprint?
“These projects will offset over 524 tons of carbon emissions—the equivalent of our company’s total carbon footprint for 2019. Going forward, Copperleaf has committed to remain a carbon neutral business by continually reducing our impact wherever possible and then using Gold Standard carbon offsets to mitigate the rest.”
What are the future plans for the Green Team?
“With the annual carbon offset program firmly in place, we are continuing to look for innovative ways to reduce our company’s carbon footprint and give colleagues the tools and resources needed to help reduce their environmental impact as individuals. The best practice is to reduce consumption first and offset second. But in cases where reducing to zero isn’t immediately possible, we encourage individuals to offset the unavoidable emissions.”
Why do you feel that this is important for Copperleaf?
“Environmental responsibility doesn’t solely fall on the shoulders of individuals, governments, or businesses. Everyone plays a part in ensuring the planet is maintained and returned to a sustainable state within our lifetimes. Through our business, Copperleaf has helped our clients make more sustainable decisions for over a decade, and now we are choosing to lead the industry by example, by becoming a carbon-neutral organization and encouraging our peer companies to do the same.”
To learn more about how we are driving sustainability for future generations, visit our sustainability page.