B&B leaves no footprint

From the archive, first published Monday 4th Dec 2006.

Financial group Bradford & Bingley has become the first company in West Yorkshire to become carbon neutral'.

The Bingley firm is one of the first FTSE 100 companies to get the accolade in recognition of steps to cut its environmental impact to zero.

To attain carbon neutral status, a firm has to be assessed by the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management (ECCM), which appraises every aspect of the business, including electricity and gas use, business and commuting miles travelled and the amount of waste produced.

The ECCM also works out how much carbon dioxide a business produces, which the company then offsets by investing in carbon neutral approved green projects.

B&B chief executive Steven Crawshaw said: "As a business anchored in the community we have always taken our responsibilities to the wider society seriously and believe it is vital to play our part in reducing carbon emissions across the globe.

"We have looked at all parts of our business - from travelling to and from work, to water and waste consumption, even down to the light bulbs we use - to ensure we are being as energy efficient as possible.

"We have already succeeded in significantly cutting our emissions and we will continue to work to reduce them further over the coming years."

Since 2004, the B&B has worked on a comprehensive programme to minimise its impact on climate change. It has cut carbon dioxide emissions by 70 per cent, by switching to energy from a combination of solar, wind and wave power.

The remaining CO2 emissions are being offset by investments in green projects across the globe, include forestry schemes in the UK, wind power in New Zealand and methane capping schemes in America.

In addition staff at the company's head office in Bingley signed up to car-sharing and private bus schemes while measures were taken to make its branches more environmentally friendly by refurbishing them to help reduce water consumption and increased waste recycling.

e-mail: mark.casci@bradford.newsquest.co.uk