Carbon Trust signs affiliates to certify companies to the Carbon Trust Standard in China and South Korea

London, 28th October, 2011: The Carbon Trust has signed an affiliate agreement with CTI International Certification Company, an independent certification body based in Shenzhen, China, which will now audit and certify Chinese businesses to the Carbon Trust Standard.

Based on a rigorous independent assessment, the Carbon Trust Standard certifies that organisations have measured, managed and reduced their carbon emissions across their operations and are committed to reducing further year-on-year. In the UK, over 600 organisations have achieved the Carbon Trust Standard and other countries are now looking at how the respected Carbon Trust assessment could be applied, particularly those with a strong export market.

A recent study from the Carbon Trust showed that 50% of multinational companies expect to select their suppliers based upon carbon performance in the future, signalling an opportunity for suppliers to secure their place on international supply chains through independent verification of carbon performance.

The Carbon Trust Certification Ltd has also signed a similar affiliate agreement with the Korea Productivity Center (KPC), a South Korean government agency. KPC provides a wide range of sustainability services, including research, consulting and certification with the aim of fostering sustainable growth and development in Korea. The South Korean Government recently announced plans to meet its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions next year by compelling large businesses to cut their emissions and encouraging them to help their suppliers to do the same.

Tom Delay, Chief Executive, the Carbon Trust, says:

“There has been a political and commercial shift in attitudes towards carbon reduction in Asia. Businesses are recognising that to maintain a strong export position they will need to prove that they are taking action to reduce carbon emissions. Our research shows that 29% of suppliers to multinationals are likely to lose their places on ‘green supply chains’ if they do not have adequate carbon performance. Many Asian businesses are seeking to stay ahead of forthcoming government carbon reduction targets and differentiate themselves by independently certifying their carbon performance.”

Sangem Hsu, President, CTI, said:

“Green House Gas Reduction is certainly one of the most critical and challenging issues for China. The Government is developing policies to support emissions reduction by business. However, for enterprises, there is a need to engage an independent party to verify corporate carbon footprints and to assess their ability to achieve the challenge for continuous reduction over the coming years. The Carbon Trust Standard is the only proven scheme to fulfill this need. Based on the Carbon Trust Standard methodologies, we will strive to provide high quality certification services to customers in China; allowing them to not only gain market recognition, but also to improve capabilities for long term reduction. And we expect a long term successful partnership with the Carbon Trust.”

Dongsoo Kim, Director of the Sustainability Management Center at KPC, said:

“The Korea Productivity Center foresees that greater numbers of Korean companies with a commitment to reducing their carbon emissions will seek a trustworthy service to assess and certify their carbon footprints. With the Carbon Trust Standard, Korean businesses can not only reap the benefits of recognition for their carbon reduction efforts both domestically and internationally, but also improve their overall competitiveness in a carbon-constrained world. We are delighted to have become a Carbon Trust Affiliate and we look forward to bringing this valuable service to Korean companies.”

One UK organisation operating within international supply chains as a client of a range of Asian suppliers is Marshalls, a British manufacturer of natural stone and innovative concrete hard landscaping products. Marshalls attained the Carbon Trust Standard in 2009 and recently re-certified, with a further carbon reduction of 15%.

Chris Harrop, Group Marketing Director at Marshalls plc commented:

“Businesses sourcing raw materials cannot fail to recognise that one of the best ways to drive down a product’s lifecycle carbon footprint is to ensure that they have a system in place for the rigorous, independent auditing of supplier carbon performance. That’s why Marshalls has worked tirelessly with our suppliers in Asia and the UK to drive down emissions year on year. An internationally regulated and recognised standard for carbon performance is a great way to achieve this and we welcome any measures from the Carbon Trust that will help foster attitudes towards carbon reduction in Asia.”