A round up of the latest environmental business news including Virgin Media, UPS and Apple.
In the first year of Virgin Media’s ‘Five in Five’ sustainability strategy, the telecoms and media business reduced its absolute scope 1 and 2 carbon footprint by 6.1%. The firm said this had been achieved through energy-efficiency projects and a major reduction in vehicle journeys. In 2015, Virgin Media reduced journeys by more than 800,000, which equated to a decrease of more than 2.3 million miles. Meanwhile, efficiency projects enabled the firm to increase the data on its network by 45% while reducing the CO2e per terabyte of data by 35%. Five in Five is Virgin Media’s pledge to deliver five key sustainability goals in five years (by 2020).
Transport and delivery business UPS has achieved its goal of driving one billion miles in its alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet one year earlier than planned. The US-owned firm set the target in 2012. It said about 12% of the conventional diesel and petrol fuel previously used by its ground fleet had now been replaced by alternative fuels. More than 7,200 vehicles have been involved in the company’s Rolling Lab alternative fuels strategy. By the end of the year, UPS will have invested $750m in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles worldwide since 2009.
Apple has announced that a major Chinese supplier, Lens Technology, has committed to use renewable energy to power all of its glass manufacturing for the US technology firm’s products by the end of 2018. Apple said Lens Technology would meet the goal, which will avoid nearly 450,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year, through power purchase agreements with local wind projects.
Doosan Babcock, the UK operation of Korean corporation Doosan, has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard in recognition of the power equipment manufacturer’s drive to cut greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. The firm’s commitment to reducing emissions started in 2012 with the quantification and reporting of GHG data across its operations. The standard confirms a sustained reduction in emissions by Doosan Babcock over the subsequent three-year period and plans to cut them further.
