Carbon Reduction Plan
Supplier name: Blackstar Solutions Ltd
Publication date: 20/12/2022
Commitment to achieving Net Zero
Blackstar Solutions Ltd is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2030
Baseline Emissions Footprint
Baseline emissions are a record of the greenhouse gases that have been produced in the past and were produced prior to the introduction of any strategies to reduce emissions. Baseline emissions are the reference point against which emissions reduction can be measured.
| Baseline Year: 2021 | |
| Additional Details relating to the Baseline Emissions calculations | |
| During 2021 Blackstar relocated and the majority of staff worked from home. In person visits to customer sites were at a low level due to Government recommendations. As for many businesses this led to a slight increase during 2022. We continue to investigate more accurate reporting and record keeping going forward to ensure true reductions and improvements. | |
| Baseline year emissions: | |
| EMISSIONS | TOTAL (tCO2e) |
| Scope 1 | 0.0005 (tCO2e) from: Company leased vehicles Gas heating offices |
| Scope 2 | 0.0093 Office electricity and home working uses |
| Scope 3 (Included Sources) | 0.0034 |
| Total Emissions | 0.0132 |
Current Emissions Reporting
| Reporting Year: 2022 | |
| EMISSIONS | TOTAL (tCO2e) |
| Scope 1 | 0.0005 (tCO2e) from: Company leased vehicles Gas heating offices |
| Scope 2 | 0.0080 Office electricity and home working uses |
| Scope 3 (Included Sources) | 0.0056 |
| Total Emissions | 0.0156 |
Emissions reduction targets
In order to continue our progress to achieving Net Zero, we have adopted the following carbon reduction targets.
We project that carbon emissions will decrease over the next two years to 0.0117
tCO2e
This is a reduction of 25% from 2022 levels
Carbon Reduction Projects
Completed Carbon Reduction Initiatives
The following environmental management measures and projects have been completed or implemented since the 2021 baseline. The measures will be in effect when performing the contract
We are committed to reducing the impact of our business on the planet and have initiated a number of green initiatives within the business:
• As far as possible waste produced at our office is sent to be recycled
• We suggest recycling for equipment and packaging supplied by us
• We offer WEEE certified recycling partners where required
• We promote re-use of functional technology where appropriate and refurbish hardware to keep it in use where appropriate
• All monitors & computers are set to sleep after 10 minutes of activity to reduce energy consumption.
• All office lighting has been upgraded to LED in the new offices
• Office heating is now on a smart thermostat
• We reduce staff travel as much as possible, relying on video for example to reduce our carbon footprint, we actively promote this for our customers too
• We offset our carbon footprint through participation in a tree planting scheme
• We encourage Encourage Active travel > Public transport> car sharing as an alternative to driving alone for business
• We have a Green Cycle Scheme for staff who wish to cycle
Under development and consideration
• Improved monitoring of supply chain carbon use to enable further reductions
• Opportunity for loans towards an electric or zero emissions vehicle
• Charging station in the office carpark
• Investment in local microgeneration projects
• Onsite PV and solar water heating to be evaluated, also Air source heat pump to replace the gas central heating
• Zoned heating to reduce energy use
We have also investigated investing in a timer system to programme controls on heating, lighting, appliances, and more. We recognise that the IT industry has a large part to play in reducing carbon emissions. We work with suppliers who share these aims
We encourage cloud hosted solutions as this can play a part in energy use reduction
For our offices, we will investigate the viability of a smart building management system that automates control depending on occupancy — for example, switching off lights when the last person leaves a room. Although some of these initiatives require investment at first, we believe that there is a considerable return on investment available in term of both reduced spending on energy, and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
We identified that there was still a significant amount of paper within the business, and the production of paper causes substantial amounts of carbon dioxide be released into the atmosphere. We have committed to becoming a paperless office as much as possible and where this is not possible, staff are strongly encouraged to recycle paper and cardboard. We encourage employees to edit and proof all their documents on their computer and print on recycled paper. Unless it is a formal document, staff should always print on both sides of a sheet of paper before recycling it. Memos, company announcements, and all internal communications can and should be sent through email or posted on an online message board.
As well as reducing our carbon footprint, our recycling initiative has also led to a reduction in the amount of material that we send to local landfill. Based on the results of our paper recycling pilot, other recyclable materials will start to be recycled, including metal, certain plastics, and glass. For recycling of electrical appliances, we will partner with local businesses to ensure that all our appliances are disposed of or recycled in accordance with WEEE regulations. We are investigating water reducing measures for office areas
Declaration and Sign Off
This Carbon Reduction Plan has been completed in accordance with PPN 06/21 and associated guidance and reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans.
Emissions have been reported and recorded in accordance with the published reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans and the GHG Reporting Protocol corporate standard [1] and uses the appropriate Government emission conversion factors for greenhouse gas company reporting [2] .
Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions have been reported in accordance with SECR requirements, and the required subset of Scope 3 emissions have been reported in accordance with the published reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans and the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard [3].
This Carbon Reduction Plan has been reviewed and signed off by the board of directors (or equivalent management body).
[1] https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-standard
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-conversion-factors-for-company-reporting
