CONTENTS

BRITISH INNOVATION

A springboard to global growth
Andrew Cahn, UK Trade & Investment

Innovation: the business of shaping our world
David Golding, Technology Strategy Board

Going global
Jonathan Kestenbaum, NESTA

Diversity is good for innovation
Annette Williams, UKRC for Women in SET

Promoting physics supporting physicists
Institute of Physics

The cost-saving CEO
Taylor Wessing

The BIC network
UK Trade & Investment

Innovation inspires R&D tax relief
PricewaterhouseCoopers

OPEN INNOVATION

KEY TECHNOLOGY

Addressing cross sectoral issues
Integrated Products Manufacturing KTN

Research Councils

Meeting the global challenge
Research Councils

The UK?s National Science and Innovation Campuses
Science & Technology Facilities Council

Aerospace & Defence

Enabling technology through innovative approaches
Aerospace & Defence KTN

Defence technologies for civilian applications
Ploughshare Innovations

Biometrics

Securing the future
Intellect Association for Biometrics

Biotechnology

Supporting life sciences in the capital
London First

Tackling the threat of electronic crime
Cyber Security KTN

Electronics

From invention to innovation
Electronics KTN

Grid Computing Now! KTN

Energy

A global fusion
UK Atomic Energy Authority

Design for a one planet economy
Giraffe Innovation

Managing carbon in the corporate and public sectors
Greenstone Carbon Management

Towards an energy efficient future
British Electrotechnical and Allied

Manufacturers Association (BEAMA) Home help
Energy Institute

Healthcare

Connecting people and technology
Health Technologies KTN

A centre of excellence for innovative translational research
University of Birmingham

Feeling your way to design success
NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement

University-industry collaborations
Imperial College London

Lost in translation
Pearson Matthews Innovation Consultants

Location and Timing

Location and Timing KTN
Intelligent Transport Systems

Mapping the route to intelligent transport systems deployment
Innovits KTN

Drive down fleet costs and reduce carbon emissions?
Energy Saving Trust

DRIVENet and sustainable vehicle engineering
Oxford Brookes University

Manufacturing

Breaking the mould
Manufacturing Technologies Association

University of Nottingham

An innovative history
Scott Bader

Innovation for tomorrow?s built environment
Modern Built Environment KTN

MATERIALS

Innovations in materials deliver value for money
Materials KTN

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology in the UK
Nano KTN

Linking technology push with market pull
NanoCentral

Running the risks
European Nanotechnology Trade Alliance

Nanofabrication solutions
Kelvin Nanotechnology

Innovative science for global applications
Oxford Instruments

Leading positive change for global industry
The Centre for Process Innovation

PHOTONICS

Making light work for industry
Photonics KTN

SENSORS & INSTRUMENTS

Unlocking the potential of the UK?s sensing community
Sensors & Instruments KTN

CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE

Investing in the future
Invest Northern Ireland

Ulster innovation delivering business success
University of Ulster

Focus: Northern Ireland

Belfast ? a city of creativity and innovation
Belfast City Council

A natural centre for innovation
London Development Agency

England?s East Midlands ? an innovative region
East Midlands Development Agency

Making it in Leeds
The City of Leeds

Collaboration in wireless technologies
Wireless Centre of Industrial Collaboration

Industrial Collaboration at the University of Leeds
Engineering Design CIC

Innovations
One North East

Focus: North West of England

Connectivity, Catchment, Cost
St. Helens

Focus: South West of England

Be part of the equation
West of England Partnership

All change for Hastings
Innovation Centre Hastings

ITI Scotland

UK SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PARKS

Raising the standards
UK Science Park Association

Special focus: collaboration
Edinburgh Science Triangle

Innovation: the key to economic growth
County Durham Development Company

Solutions across boundaries
Norwich Research Park

Partnership provides innovation success
Wolverhampton Science Park

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

The outsourcing advantage
Business Services Association

Fast start UK
Tenon Outsourcing

Inward investment trends
HSBC

Divine intervention
British Business Angels Association

Know your rights
Intellectual Property Office

A perfect patent
Beresford & Co

Putting IP at the centre of business strategy
Cambridge Intellectual Property

USEFUL INFORMATION

Science lessons
GovNet Communications

Useful addresses

KEY TECHNOLOGY

ENERGY: Greenstone Carbon Management

Meeting the challenge of
climate change ? managing carbon
in the corporate and public sectors

Businesses can no longer afford to delay meeting the challenge of climate change. The last few years have seen a shift in perception to one where climate change is now seen as a key challenge facing private and public sector organisations. This is partly due to more informed communications on the scientific consensus of climate change and the economic analysis of its impacts such as those set out in the UK government?s Stern report. Consumer perception about climate change and the ethical responsibility of business has also evolved. For corporations that meet this challenge early there are many opportunities for commercial advantage, through either product or service differentiation and a reduction in risk exposure.

For those organisations that still haven?t moved on the issue, governments are now starting to take the initiative. Over the next few years, the EU ETS (Emission Trading Scheme) will be expanded to include aviation. Cap and trade schemes involving over 4,000 organisations will be introduced in the UK through the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC). California has proposed a Californian cap and trade programme in the US and Australia has set up the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. These initiatives will impact the way organisations across the private and public sectors operate and deliver their services.

It has now become imperative for organisations to have a robust strategic approach to carbon management. For energy intensive organisations with a large carbon exposure, emissions management is a core part of their business and should be managed as such. However, legislative changes mean that for any company operating in today?s environment, emissions management is becoming an essential component of conducting day-to-day business. Companies formulating a carbon strategy should approach this task with the rigour and criticality of any other core business review. The process must be carefully planned, with senior management engagement to provide the necessary support and decisionmaking capability across the business. Knowledge of carbon accounting and reporting requirements is a key input to developing the carbon strategy.

The first step in developing a carbon strategy is to baseline the current carbon position. This is essential for setting realistic company targets and goals and highlighting potential risks and exposures. There are many possible complications and pitfalls for companies attempting to determine their carbon footprint for the first time. These problems can be defined in three key areas: defining the scope of the organisation and emission types to include collecting relevant data and using that data to calculate an accurate carbon footprint.

There is also a great deal of variation on what companies choose to include within the scope of their carbon footprint. Organisations are often unsure about the level of detail required and the organisational boundaries of their footprint. For example, should every location be included? What about business travel? Should the organisation?s supply chain be captured? What needs to be included to meet basic legislative requirements? How will data be stored to enable annual comparisons to be made? These types of questions are crucial to calculating an accurate and meaningful carbon footprint based on the strategic objectives of an organisation.

Once the scope has been determined, the next step is data collection. This stage will identify what data is required, whether it is being collected currently within the organisation, where it is stored and how to transform it into a useable form. The very nature of carbon footprinting means that this will typically involve all parts of the organisation. Getting the basic data collection process right for the baseline calculation will help establish a good foundation for future calculations and ensure the required internal and external stakeholder relationships exist to help data flow through the organisation. When the data is collected, carbon calculations should be made based on recognised methodologies.

There is still considerable flexibility surrounding the methodologies used to calculate a corporate carbon footprint. The most common methodology used is the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) Protocol developed by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development but there are others, such as DEFRA in the UK, which are more country specific. The key thing to note is that a consistent methodology should be used to calculate the carbon footprint to enable effective annual comparisons to be made.

Calculating a carbon footprint based on the collected data can be very time consuming, especially if large sets of data try to be processed using simple spreadsheet tools. By using a specific carbon management tool, time can be saved and the likelihood of an accurate carbon calculation is significantly increased. An effective and meaningful carbon strategy will require more than simply a one-off audit of an organisation?s carbon footprint. To see progress, identify trends, set goals and identify future risks and exposure, organisations need to be able to view their emissions over time. This can prove to be difficult if an appropriate tool is not used to calculate the emissions and store the data in a single source.

To participate in the newly emerging cap and trade markets, organisations will need even more information at their fingerprints ? similar to that used in financial records. This will include the ability to:

  • have instant access to the current emissions profile;
  • capture and view the costs associated with these emissions;
  • assess opportunities for emissions reduction through efficiency measures or process change;
  • analyse the optimum efficiency levels in line with growth targets;
  • assess exposure and risk to carbon markets including increasing fossil fuel prices and operating costs;
  • satisfy legislative reporting and audit requirements.

Managing carbon

Greenstone is a specialist carbon solutions company accredited by the Carbon Trust to provide carbon management strategies and solutions. Greenstone works in partnership with major commercial and public sector organisations to measure, manage and reduce their carbon emissions. Greenstone?s solutions comprise both consulting advice and access to a suite of carbon management tools. They help their clients through the challenges described above by following a simple three-step process:

  1. Carbon Readiness Assessment;
  2. Carbon Measurement;
  3. Carbon Strategy.

Central to Greenstone?s proposition is their unique Acco2unt software which provides organisations with a robust carbon management and accounting solution. It enables organisations to measure, manage, plan, store and report emission data and track performance on their carbon footprint at multiple organisational levels. An extensive list of emission sources are included in the calculation covering energy, travel and transport, together with waste and water consumption.

Greenstone?s extensive CO2 knowledge database applies the latest climate change impact factors to the carbon calculation according to national and international protocols, eg Defra and GHG Greenstone?s Carbon Consultants work with clients to develop strategies to help organisations manage their climate change risks and opportunities, balancing these in a commercial context. They provide expertise in sustainable carbon reduction solutions and objective independent advice on credible carbon offset projects.

For more information:
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3031 4000
E-mail:
Website: www.greenstonecarbon.com