CARBON-NEUTRAL PRINTING
NOW OFFERING 100% CARBON-NEUTRAL PRINTING SERVICES!
A roof covered with solar panels, all remaining power generated from renewable sources, a strong policy on recycling, the use of ecological ink, and an electric car for nearby deliveries and client visits… We have taken numerous measures to minimise our ecological footprint throughout the years. The last step towards carbon-neutral printing is offsetting remaining emissions – and that’s what we are doing now. Passing on remaining CO2 emissions and our climate impact to future generations is simply not an option. We have a responsibility to take.
Our entire creative process, including pre-press, printing, post-press and delivery of your magazines, books, catalogues, annual reports and brochures is based on 100% carbon-neutral strategies and is certified by CO2Logic and Vinçotte, guaranteeing the integrity of our systems and processes.
HOW TO OFFSET CO2 EMISSIONS?
After implementing long-term measures to reduce your CO2 emissions, you can calculate your remaining emissions. These are the levels you need to offset in order to become truly carbon neutral. Our remaining emissions are currently 804 tonnes of CO2. Compared to other carbon-neutral printing houses, this may seem like a lot. However, we have identified our main sources of climate impact below.
When calculating CO2 emissions, the sources of emissions are classified into three scopes.
For our company, these scopes include:
Scope 1: direct emissions
Direct emissions, our vehicle fleet, cooling systems and production-related emissions. These represent 7% of our total emissions.
Scope 2: indirect emissions
The main sources are electricity consumption and heating (both gas and electricity). Thanks to the use of renewable energy sources, these indirect emissions amount to only 8% of our total CO2 emissions.
Scope 3 en scope 3+: other indirect emissions
All other sources, such as business travel, commuting, consumables (paper!) and also waste, represent 85% of our total CO2 emissions.
If calculated correctly, you will know your remaining emissions total, and you know exactly how much to offset if you wish to adopt a responsible approach towards your remaining climate impact. Each day, we endeavour to permanently reduce our climate footprint.
THE PARADIGM PROJECT
To offset our remaining CO2 emissions, we fully support The Paradigm Project in Kenia, which helps poor rural families by supplying them with healthy, ecological and energy-efficient cooking stoves.
More than 3 billion people in this world still cook every meal over an open fire, with one out of two people walking many kilometres each day to collect firewood. Families who purchase fuel spend one third of their income on cooking fuel alone. All the while, inhaling the smoke from an open fire equates to smoking 44 cigarettes a day. As a result, up to two million women and children die each year from lower respiratory disease caused by indoor cooking smoke, and forests are rapidly disappearing.
The project also invests in improving local water supplies by providing water filters, for instance, to reduce the need to boil drinking water. Another way to reduce unnecessary CO2 emissions and therefore the impact on nature.
Each stove supplied under The Paradigm project equates to: 33 trees saved, 1300 productive hours saved that would otherwise be spent collecting firewood, approximately $280 in income saved, and a reduction of up to 70% in direct, harmful CO2 emissions for the people using these stoves!
“This project not only helps thousands of people, it also saves thousands of trees which, as we all know, take CO2 from the air and store it.”
Filip Van Wezemael, Director, Van der Poorten NV
WHY SUPPORT A PROJECT IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY?
Most Western countries have already introduced CO2 emission reduction obligations. According to the so-called ‘additionality’ principle adopted by the United Nations, emission offsets are only considered additional if they happen in addition to any offsets that would occur anyway. The principle stipulates that CO2 emissions can be offset only in developing countries where emission reduction obligations do not exist, and where the offset amount of CO2 emissions will therefore effectively be ‘additional’. You can’t simply offset your emissions by planting trees in non-certified forests. The Gold Standard certification, for instance, guarantees that the emission reduction is additional and that it would not have taken place without our efforts. The act of offsetting CO2 emissions must also be of a ‘permanent’ nature, which means that the reduced or sequestered carbon should not be re-released into the air after a number of years. Unfortunately, this is what happens with many local and international reforestation projects, as they cannot always guarantee that the trees planted will not be harvested in the next few years or decades. This often means that the CO2 stored in trees is re-released into the air while the companies behind the reforestation projects incorrectly label themselves as ‘carbon-neutral’.
Reducing CO2 emissions is a matter of global importance that must be addressed on a global scale. The problems of CO2 emissions and climate change do not know borders. Offsetting one tonne of CO2 here or on the other side of the planet will have the same effect. By reducing CO2 emissions in Kenya, we are effectively reducing CO2 emissions worldwide. Many small acts make one big impact.
The Paradigm Project also allows us to reduce CO2 emissions where it would not be possible without our support and the support of others. We are all for sustainable development, supporting local economies and promoting socio-economic developments.
WE MAKE PAPER TALK!
Naturally, we continue our efforts to drastically reduce our CO2 emissions. There are several projects in the works, such as replacing traditional light bulbs with LED lighting, using raw materials (paper) more efficiently, and making our vehicle fleet ‘greener’. Our commitment – we cannot stress this enough – stretches far beyond offsetting our emissions.
We strive to be a reliable partner for you – a partner you love to work with, again and again. As a company, we are committed to sustainability and quality. We invite you to be part of our story.
We make paper talk!
