At BioLite, we’re on a mission to bring Energy Everywhere. But it takes energy to make energy - energy to manufacture and ship our products, to light our office and to travel to our customers. And this consumption of energy produces CO2 emissions that affect us all. As a company dedicated to both people and planet, we take responsibility for our footprint and are committed to mitigating our climate impacts.
Over the last six months we underwent an internal carbon impact analysis that identifies where and how we are releasing greenhouse gases through both our manufacturing methods and our operations. In parallel with quantifying our emissions, we were able to measure the greenhouse gas reductions resulting from the use of BioLite’s emission-reducing products, such as the HomeStove, in India and sub-Saharan Africa.
As of November 17th 2015, BioLite has offset the full carbon emissions history of the company and will continue forward with carbon neutral operations in the years to come. We are proud to be a company that facilitates our own carbon neutrality by both generating and retiring carbon credits, which will be independently verified by The Gold Standard, a carbon accreditation foundation. See the full report below for a detailed explanation and background of what it means to produce and retire and offset.
We are fortunate to have the support of a community that celebrates quality products and a meaningful mission: thank you for helping us make this milestone possible.
What Is CO2 and Why Does It Matter
CO2 is a greenhouse gas, which means it traps heat in the atmosphere. It’s a natural part of the Earth’s carbon cycle, with carbon moving among plants, animals, humans, ocean, and soil.
However, the combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity, provide transportation, and grow industrial production has led to a surge in CO2 emissions that cannot be absorbed by natural carbon sinks such as oceans and forests. When CO2 and other greenhouse gasses come out of balance in the atmosphere, it leads to the aggregate warming of the Earth’s surface, contributing to climate change.
To address the impacts of global warming, we have looked to our governments to regulate CO2 emissions. While we hope that international progress will be made this December at the Climate Talks (COP21), there are simple steps that both individuals and organizations can make today, paving the way for scalable, cost-effective solutions that can be adopted globally.
Here at BioLite, the first step towards mitigating our climate emissions is understanding how much we emit and where we do it.
Where BioLite Produces CO2
Across our operations from 2012-2014, BioLite had an aggregate emissions footprint of 2,921 tons CO2e.
In quantifying our footprint, we applied the World Resources Institutes Greenhouse Gas Protocol and considered all material sources of greenhouse gases throughout the value chain.
The majority of our emissions stem from manufacturing, shipping, and corporate travel. BioLite has used this data to focus our efforts on streamlining raw materials use, improving packaging and shipping logistics, and utilizing remote communication where possible to minimize travel. And while our headcount is small, the office is proud to report that 100% of BioLite HQ commutes to work via bike and/or public transit.
Where BioLite Reduces CO2
While BioLite produces CO2 primarily through manufacturing and travel, we simultaneously reduce CO2 through our work in emerging markets, where we replace toxic open fires with the clean-burning BioLite HomeStove.
A smoky open cooking fire emits as much CO2 annually as car in addition to other toxic byproducts that have devastating effects on health. The BioLite HomeStove’s clean combustion technology cuts CO2 in half and reduces harmful emissions by up to 94%. The reduction in CO2 comes from requiring less fuel due to increased efficiency; this facilitates the dual benefit of lower greenhouse emissions as well as slowing deforestation by requiring less biomass for the same sized fire.
This savings in greenhouse gas emissions is being registered by the Gold Standard Foundation, the leading carbon accreditation body. For every ton of greenhouse gas emissions saved (measured in CO2e) BioLite generates a carbon credit – we can sell these credits and reinvest revenues to help accelerate our work in bringing clean energy access to households that need it most. However, before BioLite sells credits, we are retiring 2,921 of our credits to take responsibility for our organization’s footprint. In the years to come, we will continue to allocate and retire a portion of credits generated to maintain our commitment to carbon neutrality.
Towards A Cleaner Future
For each ton of CO2e released into the atmosphere from BioLite operations during the 2012-2014 period, we will save approximately sixteen [16] tons CO2e from the successful distribution and use of HomeStoves.
Questions? Email Us for more info on references, sources, and details on our carbon finance program.