Print buyers welcome BPIF carbon calculator

18 March 2009

Environment

Eco-focused print buyers have welcomed a print industry carbon calculator as a way to simplify and promote environmental best practice.

The BPIF last week launched its carbon calculator, which it said would cut through the "accreditation clutter" and set transparent carbon benchmarking.

The tool was 18 months in the making. It is supported by the CarbonNeutral Company and meets PAS 2050 on greenhouse gas emissions.

Environment Agency design manager Dawn FitzGerald said: "It is the right time for a rationalisation.

"What is important? Managing forests? Carbon miles? People are looking for guidance. We've been waiting for something official," she added.

Richard O'Brien, marketing services manager at EDF Energy, which also partners with the CarbonNeutral Company, said less clutter would be a big help.

"I feel sorry for the printers who have to adopt another best practice model out of their own pocket, but a consolidated model would be very welcome to print buyers," he added

O'Brien hoped the carbon calculator could be customer-facing and become universally recognised by the wider public, not just the print industry.

According to Greenpeace print buyer David Shorto, most calculators up until now have been "woefully inadequate".

Shorto added that the tool wasn't for vetting suppliers but for projects. "I'm not considering integrating this into my buying role," he said.

Bill Sneyd, director of advisory services at the CarbonNeutral Company which worked with the BPIF on the project said last week that the calculator was still an evolutionary process as there was currently a lack of data in certain areas.

Andy Seal, head of print, publishing and distribution at the Department for Transport, said carbon calculations and PAS 2050 featured in the DfT's mid- to long-term plans for measuring suppliers.

"The BPIF have produced a standardised mechanism by which printers can be measured. It's a good opportunity to take on board and use," said Seal.

However, he said that while it was meant to give a good picture of carbon output, "if a supplier's output is higher than expected, will they want to report that?"