Calculating climate impact brings big gains

Nordic companies are keen to improve their sustainability performance, but few are aware of what impact their office operations are having on the climate. In a pilot project during the year, Coor measured the climate impact of the services it provides at a few selected client companies around the Nordic region. One of them is Deloitte in Norway:
“At Deloitte, we are keen to make a difference,” says Tone Indrebø Næs, Director Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability. “Our goal is to make a positive contribution to society and promote sustainable development.” She therefore did not hesitate when Coor contacted her and asked if Deloitte wanted to participate in the pilot.
“For Deloitte, this has been an important addition to our own efforts to combat climate change, and we have taken measures to reduce the carbon footprint of our office as a direct response to Coor’s calculations,” says Tone Indrebø Næs.

One of these measures is that Deloitte now has significantly fewer meat dishes on the menu in the staff restaurant, and when meat is served the portions are almost halved compared with previously. The rest of the plate is filled with vegetables, which is good for health as well as the environment. Nikolai Utheim, President Coor in Norway, points out that keeping track of your company’s emissions has become a competitive advantage.
“So far, we have run the pilot for three customers in Norway and today we can say exactly where the climate emissions from their office operations come from, which helps to raise awareness. They now know what changes are required.”
He is convinced that in the future climate reporting will be as natural as reporting a company’s financial figures and is calling for a greater degree of public governance.
“The authorities need to come up with clear guidelines for climate reporting. We need public standards that we can relate to,” says Nikolai Utheim.