This is how they will combat climate change

10 years to meet the deadline to achieve the Goals of United Nations Sustainable Development, more than 50 companies, including several Argentine companies, committed to measure carbon emissions that they generate with their activity to later be able to mitigate and finally compensate them, in order to mitigate climate change.

This is an initiative promoted by Sistema B Argentina in conjunction with Seamos Bosques and GMF Latinoamericana S.A.

“B Companies are pioneers in transforming business into a force for the common good,” Gonzalo Muñoz, co-founder of Sistema B, explains to EconoSus. “Under this premise, the program that seeks to bring together both certified B companies and others committed to triple impact (social, environmental and economic) to achieve neutrality in their emissions ”.

Among the companies that joined the initiative are the cosmetics multinational Nature, Stock Exchanges and Markets of Argentina (ByMA), Turn SA (owner of Rapipago), GMF Latinoamericana (specialized in sustainable forest management), the social entrepreneurship Hilandería Warmi (which sells textiles made by Kollas women), and the professional services firm Vistage, among others.

Step by Step

The program consists of three instances They conclude with a detailed report on the emissions that each company generates, along with the most appropriate mitigation options for each one -considering its size and industry- and the existing compensation alternatives.

“We cannot celebrate that as a result of a virus we have improved environmental conditions, we need systemic change. We must measure the emissions generated by our operations so that when we get out of this COVID-19 crisis, we do better, “says Muñoz.

The first step consisted of train and deepen in the theme so that the participating companies understand the problem, its impact and how this can be modified based on the action of individuals and companies.

The second step, which will be carried out by companies that re-confirm their commitment and bear the cost, consists of training them in the best way to collect information and the correct measurement of their carbon footprint.

The third step of this program consists of presenting the results of the Carbon Footprints to understand the situation of each company, for the development of a mitigation and compensation plan.

“Each one must take charge of the CO2 emissions that he generates with his company. For this, it is necessary to know what Carbon Neutrality is and how to do it. It does not matter if what you can do is low impact, the important thing is to do it, ”says Pedro Friedrich, CEO of the company of components for solar energy Tonka S.A, one of the signatories of the commitment.

Goal 2030

The initiative emerged last year, during the + B 2019 meeting, which was held in Mendoza. There, companies were invited to be “leaders in climate change mitigation and adaptation.”

“For companies to become carbon neutral by 2030, they must end 2020 by measuring their own carbon footprint,” said Gonzalo Muñoz. “That is why Sistema B, GMF and Seamos Bosques came together to guide Companies B (and not B) towards neutrality,” he explained.

In April, a first meeting was held (virtually, given the isolation measures), in order to raise awareness and deepen on Carbon Neutrality, and its relationship with climate change.

At least two more meetings are planned before the end of the year, to achieve a correct measurement of the carbon footprint of each company, and in this way be able to reduce and offset it.

Date published: May 25, 2020