Companies are a fundamental actor in the fight against climate change For this reason sustainability criteria are part of the strategic lines of the largest corporations in the world Many companies dedicate part of their efforts and their benefits to limiting and eliminating the emission of greenhouse gases through different initiatives almost all of them aimed at curbing global warming.
This is the line of the objectives just announced by the VELUX Group a world leader in the manufacture of roof windows The company is committed to reaching carbon neutral for life by 2041 the year of its first centenary This new concept implies the assumption of responsibilities for carbon emissions made both in the past and in the future In this way the multinational will offset its historical carbon footprint –which includes its own and indirect emissions produced through the elements that participate in its value chain– which is equivalent to a total of 56 million tons of CO2 emitted from its foundation in 1941.
Only around 6 of the carbon footprint generated by the company throughout its history comes from its own operations that are from direct emissions generated by the VELUX Group through its infrastructures and company vehicles among other elements The other 94 comes from indirect emissions derived on the one hand from the generation of electricity steam heating and cooling that the company consumes And on the other of those that occur in its value chain for example in the acquisition of goods and services or in the generation and transport of waste.
To achieve its objective the VELUX Group will collaborate with the environmental association WWF for the implementation of five forestry projects In addition to capturing carbon they are all aimed at combating climate change halting habitat loss preserving the biodiversity of the planet and improving the livelihoods of local communities.
The purpose is to meet the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement reached in 2015 by the 195 member countries of the United Nations to limit the increase in the global temperature of the planet to 15 ° C, The collaboration with WWF is part of the VELUX Groups Sustainability Strategy 2030 which will invest up to 135 million euros in the next 20 years to achieve all these commitments.
The 2030 Sustainability Strategy also includes the challenge of establishing an emissions reduction plan through the science-based Goals initiative which mobilizes companies to set science-based goals and gain a competitive advantage in the transition towards a low carbon economy Thus in 2030 the VELUX Group will be a 100 carbon-neutral company and will reduce its carbon footprint by 50 throughout its value chain including its suppliers.
To transform its business the VELUX Group will accelerate investment in energy efficiency measures in its production plants make the leap to renewable energy and acquire 100 renewable electricity in addition to significantly modifying its requirements in the specification and purchase of materials.
The first two projects will take place in Uganda and Myanmar and will help curb deforestation and land degradation that threatens biodiversity in forest ecosystems In Uganda efforts will focus on restoring degraded forested areas planting new forests and caring for existing ones through a wide range of measures Likewise thousands of trees will be planted in agricultural plots located outside of protected natural areas In this way it will be possible to satisfy the demand for forest products and at the same time reduce the pressure to which natural forests are subjected.
For its part the Myanmar project will focus on safeguarding the Maw Daung ecological corridors vital to preserving the unique biodiversity of this area of Southeast Asia To achieve this local communities will cooperate who will enjoy the benefits of this action.
Aware that the Earth faces a serious natural and climate crisis that requires extraordinary actions the CEO of the VELUX Group David Briggs has announced that the company will also drastically reduce its future CO2 emissions “And we will ask our suppliers to do the same Hopefully this initiative will inspire other companies to achieve carbon neutrality for life and we will forge a sustainable future for all ”insisted Briggs
For his part the CEO of WWF International Marco Lambertini argues that the VELUX Groups vision and commitment to carbon neutral for life “represents an important and exemplary step” “Make a commitment that upholds the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 15 ° C while protecting valuable forest landscapes and their biodiversity as well as the crucial services they provide to communities and the economy is in line with a carbon neutral future thus meeting all the Sustainable Development Goals Together we hope to create a model that can serve other organizations to also achieve carbon neutrality for life and raise the global bar for corporate action against climate change ” concludes Lambertini