Spain’s 2030 Observatory of the Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España (CSCAE), a business association for architects and contractors, and ClimateTrade, have developed a carbon footprint calculator for companies in the construction sector. This is the first step in helping the construction industry achieve carbon neutrality. The application is the result of a partnership agreement signed between the CSCAE and ClimateTrade to jointly develop digital initiatives to fight climate change and achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the 2030 Agenda. The calculator is free to use and already available for the almost 200 members of the CSCAE’s 2030 Observatory, allowing them to calculate carbon footprint offset it through environmental projects in Spain and around the world. Francisco Benedito, CEO and Co-Founder of ClimateTrade, comments: “This partnership is set to allow direct contribution to the SDGs via dozens of projects around the world which, through our marketplace, will provide full transparency on how funds are allocated. At the same time, it is important to offer SMEs and independent contractors this free carbon footprint calculator to help them realize their own environmental impact and quantify their footprint. Through simple annual company data, the calculator provides a summary of CO2 emissions, which can then be offset on the platform, making carbon neutrality easier.” Ángela Baldellou, Director of the 2030 Observatory 2030 of CSCAE, adds: “With this new initiative, we can support our members and partners in their journey towards a more sustainable business model. We are delighted to have the participation of ClimateTrade, which has made the process more digital and more simple, providing companies with the environmental projects that will allow them to move forward with their social responsibility strategy towards a fairer, more sustainable world.” The calculator is very easy to use: based on the standards of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the tool prompts the user to enter energy consumption and transportation data, and offers a summary and analysis of CO2 equivalent emissions across a full year. Once calculated, emissions can be offset on the platform, where the user can select the most appropriate mitigation projects and get access to their transaction history in their private account. In Spain, buildings consume about 30% of the country’s total energy, and are responsible for 36% of national GHG emissions. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that direct CO2 emissions from buildings need to be reduced by half, and indirect emissions from the construction sector cut by 60% by 2030 to meet 2050 net zero targets. According to WorldGBC, the construction and demolition phases, as well as the material supply chain, represent between 10 and 20% of a building’s lifecycle carbon footprint. Making a lifecycle assessment of carbon emissions offers new perspectives for their decarbonisation. However, public policies that take these processes into account are also necessary to completely decarbonise buildings in the coming years. To find out more about ClimateTrade’s sector-specific carbon footprint calculators, read our case studies or contact us.

Thanks to technological support from ClimateTrade, members of Spain’s GEBTA (the Association of Business Travel Agencies) will have access to solutions to offset the CO2 emissions of corporate trips. Since GEBTA and ClimateTrade announced their strategic agreement in May 2021 to promote sustainable company policies, corporate travel agencies have shifted their CSR strategies: from simply offering sustainability consulting to their clients, they have implemented practical solutions that allow them to directly offset their impact. This is strengthening the agencies’ own sustainability commitments, as well as their clients’. Agencies are now offering high added-value services to their corporate clients, starting with the voluntary offset of the carbon footprint of corporate trips. How does carbon offset work in the travel sector?  By integrating ClimateTrade’s digital tools and solutions in their processes and settlements, companies receive detailed information on the volume of CO2 emissions from their trips and stays. To achieve this, the digital climate company uses CO2 emission calculators that measure the footprint of flights, hotel accommodation, car rentals, buses and taxis, making them an indispensable tool to manage the carbon accounting of the agencies’ clients. With this CO2 measurement and visibility, companies can voluntarily offset their carbon footprint by acquiring credits certified by governments or other international organizations. This certification guarantees that the corporate indicators of companies’ CSR and environmental policies, as well as the sustainability reports requested by ESG auditors and investors, are traceable and transparent. The strategic partnership between GEBTA and ClimateTrade The ambitious agreement signed between the two organizations is an opportunity to accelerate the carbon neutrality of corporate travel by 2050, the deadline set by the European Climate Law. The application developed by ClimateTrade for carbon footprint offsetting is based on blockchain technology, reducing transaction costs and removing the need for traditional intermediaries or brokers. Each transaction and its associated value is visible to anyone with access to the system. On the other hand, the carbon credits generated follow the most authoritative international standards, such as the UN CDM Registry, the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Gold Standard, among others. With this agreement, specialized business travel agency GEBTA joins the sustainibility leaders such as Iberia Airlines, Meliá Hotels, Cabify Mobility Services, Banco Santander, Telefónica, Suez or Danone in their carbon efforts. Do you want to see other examples of companies that are taking action to slow down ClimateTrade? Click here. This article was written by Francisco Martín, Head of Engineering at ClimateTrade, and Marcel Forns, president of GEBTA.

With the support of ClimateTrade and its blockchain technology, Aigües de Barcelona has started managing its carbon footprint of the value chain.  The Project coordinated by Aigües de Barcelona intends to reach out and impact the area of its operation, the city of Barcelona. The organization in charge of the capital’s water cycle has already involved a relevant group of its suppliers within its Agenda 2030 initiative. This project is named Blockvaluechain since it provides a space in which knowledge and tools are shared within the organizations named. The initiative promotes the digital traceability of the carbon footprint among the supply chain structure of its members. Therefore, companies that provide products and services will have the tools to calculate, reduce and offset carbon emissions.  For Aigües de Barcelona’s mission of moving towards climate neutrality by reducing emissions on its whole value chain, it’s key to engage and to have an active participation of its suppliers.  The project Blockvaluechain counts with the collaboration of the Technology Center Cetaqua and the climate-related partner ClimateTrade. The company has developed a pioneering digital tool for carbon offsetting suited to companies and consumers that want to take a step forward in the fight against climate change.    Written by Francisco Martín,  ClimateTrade’s Head of Engineering and Key Accounts Manager.  

The pilot agreement between ClimateTrade and the Cantabria Chamber of Commerce was a step forward to promote a local impact.  Starting in October 2021, the Cantabria Chamber of Commerce will start to focus even more on its social responsibility at a regional level, investing in projects that empower the local economy, environment and communities.  With this agreement, the two companies put a focus on “local offsetting”, in other words, buying carbon credits and financing projects at a regional level. This way, corporations that are looking for ways to offset their carbon footprint aiming for a local impact will be able to do it in the same place in which they hold their activity, tracking the benefits in real time with the usage of the blockchain technology by ClimateTrade. The focal point projects are the ones that promote the capture of carbon through solutions that are based in nature, such as reforestation.    According to Climatetrade’s CEO Francisco Benedito, with this agreement we expected to help companies, mostly small and medium, to achieve their 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development goals while supporting local and regional projects. Achieving carbon neutrality before 2050, as established by the EU, is a challenge that can only be faced by joining forces, meaning that this partnership is a key step to accomplish it.  Modesto Piñeiro, the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, stated that “this is an unprecedented project that contributes to the environment, giving a possibility to companies to step up into their path to social responsibility and sustainability.