Carbon Trust delivers 10.8Mt of carbon savings

London, 23 August: The UK's Carbon Trust claims it has helped cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 10.8 million tonnes (Mt) since 2001.

The company was set up by the UK government to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. In its annual report, the Carbon Trust says it has helped business and public sector organisations prevent the release of 1.2-2Mt of CO2 over the last year, and has helped them make £114 million-171 million ($227 million-343 million) in associated cost savings.

This brings the total CO2 reductions it has facilitated since it was founded to 10.8Mt – the equivalent of the combined annual emissions of Birmingham and Edinburgh.

Ian McAllister, chairman of the Carbon Trust, said: "Step by step, we are leading the way into a low-carbon future on which this country's commercial success, energy security and environmental sustainability will depend."

Chief executive Tom Delay added: "Organisations are taking a wider view of how they fit into a low-carbon future, and are considering the risks and opportunities it presents. More and more are looking beyond simple energy cost savings for opportunities to enhance their relationships with customers, employees and other stakeholders, or create new products and services. There is an increasing appetite for change."

For example, the Carbon Trust helped retailer Marks & Spencer to identify savings in its electricity usage at some of their stores by installing a basic monitoring system. It cut electricity usage per square foot of sales space by 45% during 2006.

Over the year, the Carbon Trust also completed a pilot project which saved the National Health Service in England and Wales £8 million and cut emissions of CO2 by 60,000t in 10 NHS Trusts. The pilot is set to be rolled out to another 16 NHS Trusts this year. It also worked with 390 large energy users on energy efficiency and carbon management projects.

The annual figure for CO2 savings this year includes businesses and public sector organisations that have called the Carbon Trust's advice line or requested publications. Although the Carbon Trust checks back with these clients to see if they have implemented any emissions-saving measures as a result, the range of 1.2-2Mt accounts for some uncertainty in this regard. The figure has been assured by accounting firm KPMG.