New Carbon Footprint Strategy for Businesses
July 2, 2009 by admin
Filed under Initiatives
Gefyra Leitourgia operates the Rion Antirion Bridge, which crosses the Corinth Gulf in Greece. With the assistance of the Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE), Gefyra has developed a Carbon Footprint Strategy in order to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions produced from its annual operations, based on the Greenhouse Gas protocol (GHG), which will also result in reducing the organisation’s operating costs.
This initiative further aims at steadily reducing the amount of produced greenhouse gas emissions on an annual basis, as well as gaining the official Climate Neutral certification, via the implementation of carbon offsetting from the credible Swiss organisation, “myclimate”. This action is considered a step forward, after last year’s successful implementation of a public awareness campaign, which was realised in lieu of the World Environmental Day, during which the concepts of eco-driving and carbon offsetting were promoted to bridge users.
GEFYRA, through its strategy of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions produced by its annual operations and through the implementation of the “Climate-Neutral Operation” programme, will significantly reduce its carbon footprint by 68 tonnes (4% of the total gas emissions) and will promote cost savings estimated at 14.642 € per annum (9,43% of the total operations cost).
Mr. Nikos Avlonas, Managing Director of the CSE stated:
We are proud of having supported GEFYRA with our know-how in view of such an initiative which aims at reducing the organisation’s environmental footprint and at considerably reducing operational costs.
On behalf of GEFYRA Mr. Ioannis Frerris, Communications Manager of GEFYRA OPERATION commented:
In this era of climate change, any form of a corporate sustainability policy cannot be considered without the design and implementation of significantly effective initiatives aiming at achieving measurable and visible results. The proven commitment of our responsibilities towards the environment is a one-way street that each one of us should follow.
The above efforts and strategy were awarded last Tuesday, 16 of June, during the Ecocity 2009 Awards for Environmental Consciousness. Within the business sector, GEFYRA S.A. was distinguished for its environmental consciousness towards the implementation of a comprehensive and innovative strategy for reducing and offsetting CO2 emissions as well as towards the “Eco-driving” programme.◊
