Be prepared for the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme
Did you know there is a carbon emissions trading scheme in the UK? Did you also know that the scheme is mandatory?
The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, formerly known as the Carbon Reduction Commitment, was launched in April. So, what does it mean for your organisation?
Liability depends on the size of your business and 20,000 public and private sector organisations could be potentially liable, although the majority will simply need to make a disclosure about their energy usage.
As many as 5,000 organisations – those with an annual electricity demand of over 6,000 megawatt-hours – will be required to participate fully, recording emissions and purchasing allowances.
Failure to comply is not an option. Potential fines include £5,000 for reporting delays, £40 for each incorrectly reported tonne of carbon and up to three years in prison for deliberate data manipulation.
Don’t sit back and relax if your organisation doesn’t meet the threshold for the scheme. First, official targets can change. While electricity might be the initial focus, companies in the scheme will also need to start reporting gas and fuel emissions.
Second, organisations can grow. Surely it’s better to be prepared for any eventuality now, rather than waiting and hoping? Third, qualifying organisations will appear in a league table that publicly demonstrates their ability to slash emissions. No business that is keen to engage with its increasingly green customer base will able to dally in mid-table.
So, take a look now at the technology tools that can help you deal with the onerous tasks of monitoring and reporting. Flexibility and integration should be your watchwords, and you should look for an approach to monitoring that includes capacity for performance monitoring and ongoing benchmarking.
Also consider tools that can help you bring down emissions, such as automation and document management. Cut the paper mountain and you can crush carbon emissions.
The scheme aims to help meet the UK’s target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050. As well as the sustainability concerns, there are serious financial imperatives: official estimates suggests that reducing energy use will save organisations a total of £1bn annually by 2020.
Both environmentally and financially, it is crucial to be prepared for the carbon emissions trading scheme.
Version One have made a whitepaper available, download it here
