Guidance published on GHG emissions

New guidance to measure and tackle greenhouse gas emissions for businesses and organisations has been published by Defra and DECC. The guidance has been published alongside advice on what it means to be carbon neutral. Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: "Businesses have an opportunity to lead the way on the UK's climate change agenda and this guidance helps them do that. Measuring your GHG emissions is an important first step in addressing the UK's contribution to the UK's total emissions. By reducing them, organisations can save money on energy costs and resource efficiencies � as well as maintaining a competitive edge through strengthening their green credentials." The UK committed to reduce total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 under the Climate Change Act 2008. A key requirement of the Act was to publish guidance to help organisations report on the emissions that they are responsible for. The guidance is aimed at all sizes of business as well as public and third sector organisations. Complementing the GHG guidance, further guidance has been published on how businesses can be carbon neutral by following a three-stage process of calculating, reducing and offsetting emissions. Until now there has been no formal definition of carbon neutral. This latest guidance will help the Advertising Standards Authority in its rulings ahead of Defra's revised Green Claims Code, due for publication later this year, which will help advertisers making environmental claims about products and services.