We are delighted to announce that Sychem has become a Carbon Neutral Organisation!
We have been working with Carbon Neutral Britain to offset Sychem’s total Carbon emissions through internationally certified Carbon offsetting projects.
What does going Carbon Neutral mean?
Carbon Neutral Britain says, “The increasing levels of Carbon Dioxide and Greenhouse Gases (CO²e) are the most significant cause of Global Warming on earth. Everything you do – what you buy, eat and where you go, adds to the amount of CO²e produced, adding to Global Warming.
By Offsetting your Carbon Footprint – with projects to remove CO²e from the atmosphere, you can balance out your emissions to become what is known as Carbon Neutral.”
This means that by Offsetting your Carbon Footprint, the balance of emissions will allow businesses to be considered Carbon Neutral or ‘green’.
What does going Carbon Neutral mean for Sychem?
Having achieved Carbon Neutral status, Sychem are incredibly excited for all of the doors that have been opened for us!
This means that Sychem Limited has met all Carbon Neutral Britain Certification™ standards in measuring, calculating and offsetting all organisational Carbon emissions from 2021, and is now a certified Carbon Neutral company.
Calculations are made following the ISO 14064-1:2018 and GHG Protocol Emissions Standards.
The Carbon Neutral Airflow Range
Sychem are also incredibly proud to announce that we have achieved Carbon Neutral status for our Airflow Range!
The SychemFILL, SychemCHANGE & SychemWASTE machines have had their emissions usage calculated and offset, based on a ten-year lifetime usage.
How can a business go Carbon Neutral?
Carbon Neutral Britain funds Carbon Offsetting projects in Britain and across the globe, to reduce the amount of CO²e in the earth’s atmosphere.
They believe “planting trees are the most sustainable way to do this, as forest projects absorb CO², refract the earth’s heat as well as having a positive impact on wildlife, ecology and biodiversity.”
Sychem and Carbon Neutral have worked together to Offset Sychem’s Carbon Footprint through several different projects.
What are some examples of Carbon Offsetting projects?
Carbon Neutral Britain offers a variety of Carbon Offsetting projects, based within the UK and all around the world.
They select their Carbon Offsetting projects based on their direct and indirect global impact.
Carbon Neutral Britain ensures that the projects are certified to the highest standards through the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Gold Standard Voluntary Emission Reductions (VER) and Certified Emission Reductions (CER) programmes.
They also look to fund projects in the developing world that help provides education, employment, clean water, energy and a positive impact on the local wildlife and ecology.
Some examples of Carbon Neutral projects include:
Burgos Wind Farm – Philippines
The Burgos Wind Project is the largest wind farm in the Philippines. At the time it was built, it was also considered to be one of the largest wind farms in South East Asia. It is located in one of the best areas in the country to generate clean energy from wind. The 150-MW facility has fifty (50) Vestas V90 wind turbines, each with a rated capacity of 3 MWs. The wind farm has a substation which is connected to a 43 KM 115 kV Transmission Line to the Laoag substation of the grid operator, the NGCP (National Grid Corporation of the Philippines).
Project Impact and Secondary Benefits:
Preventing Fossil Fuel Burn for Energy
The project produces clean energy and displaces generation from other sources that contribute pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions to the environment.
Education within the Community
The Burgos Wind Team leads projects and initiatives with the local governments and communities that promote the protection of the environment. Engaging and empowering the community is a critical objective of the project. In fact, the team hosts a local radio program that discusses various topics with the local community, mostly on protecting and promoting the environment.
Employment
During construction, the Burgos Wind Farm generated many jobs, and today employs over 600 staff in the ongoing management and maintenance of the wind farm and energy sites.
Andes Mountains Hydro Power – Chile
Located in the Tinguiririca River upper valley, this Hydroelectric project is around 120km south of Santiago, Chile.
Known as La Confluencia, the 163 MW run of river hydropower plant utilises the hydrological resources of the Tinguiririca, Portillo and Azufre Rivers, in a run of river scheme to generate and supply zero-emission energy to the Chilean central electricity grid (SIC). The power plant generates certified emission reductions (CERs) by displacing electricity generation from grid connected fossil fuel-fired power plants that would otherwise be generating electricity.
Project Impact and Secondary Benefits:
Environmental Sustainability
The primary objective of the proposed project is to help meet Chile’s rising demand for energy due to its economic growth and to improve the supply of electricity, while contributing to the environmental, social (job creation in the construction phase, and infrastructure enhancements in surrounding municipalities) and economic sustainability by increasing renewable energy’s share on the Chilean electricity consumption. The Project activity improves the supply of electricity with clean, renewable hydroelectric power while contributing to the regional/local economic development.
Social Development
Through the “Tinguiririca Participa” grant program, the project directly finances proposals presented by community organisation, in areas such as healthcare, education, and social change. In the first year of the program, the joint venture financed 11 projects, while today the number of projects surpasses 200. All of these initiatives are aimed at meeting community needs.
Flora and Fauna
In addition to social projects, reforestation of around 120 hectares around the site has been implemented, helping protect and improve the local flora and fauna, with a specific impact on local Tricahue Parrot, Torrent Duck, Freshwater Catfish, Torrent Duck and Freshwater Catfish species.
Rice Husk Power Project – Cambodia
The Angkor Bio Cogen (ABC) project is the first renewable energy project to utilise rice husk as biomass fuel for electricity generation in Cambodia, involves the operation of 2 MW new rice husk power generation plant in the Kandal province.
The electricity generated from biomass power plant to the Angkor Rice Mill that, in absence of the project activity, uses diesel oil to generate electricity for the rice mill operation. Besides from this, ABC provides surplus electricity to neighbouring factories and community through the power utility in Angsnoul District that, in the absence of the project activity, use diesel oil or batteries for their uses.
Project Impact and Secondary Benefits:
Emissions Reductions
The project achieves GHG emissions reduction in three ways:
1) The GHG reduction is achieved through the use of rice husk which was previously left to decay in the open space, resulting in methane emissions;
2) The generated power is exported to the rice mill, which partially replaces power generated by their captive diesel power generator, contributing to GHG emissions associated with the diesel power plant;
3) The surplus generated power is supplied to the local power utility, providing electricity to the community living outside the project premises.
Social Development
The project has contributed to the improvement of economic, social and environmental well-being of the community through providing reliable electricity access to the rice mill as well as the neighbouring business and community.
We would like to thank Carbon Neutral Britain for assisting Sychem in achieving Carbon Neutral business status.
To find out more about Offsetting your Carbon footprint, please visit the Carbon Neutral Britain website.
