Toshiba announced it has reached a milestone with its pan-European Toshiba Carbon Zero Scheme when it passed the 500,000 tonnes milestone mark. This amount is equivalent to the annual emissions from almost 110,000 European homes or keeping 11.5 million energy saving light bulbs switched on for a year. Toshiba has been offsetting the carbon generated throughout the entire life-cycle of its printing solution products – including production, transportation and usage – since 2009.
All carbon emissions have been offset in cooperation with CO2balance through certified projects around the world. And while available schemes for the offsetting programme vary throughout Europe, they all help benefit the lives of individuals in developing countries. The supported initiatives currently include an energy efficient stoves project, in which villagers in Kenya reduce their use of wood for fuel through the provision of highly efficient stoves. Further projects currently underway include the rehabilitation of boreholes in Uganda that supply clean, safe water, as well as work on reducing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.
Besides adding to the global aim of reducing carbon emissions, these projects also have a positive impact on the regions where these projects are run: The creation of new jobs and savings due to less firewood needing to be purchased improve the economic situation of the people and reduce health related issues related to smoke or contaminated water. As a consequence more time and money is available for children to attend school regularly.
The benefits of the Toshiba Carbon Zero Scheme have also been acknowledged by the United Nations, which set a total of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which the aim of ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity for all by 2030. Toshiba’s contribution towards these goals are listed as a partnership project on the UN’s website
Toshiba always strives to protect the environment. We are very proud to have achieved this outstanding milestone and would like to thank our customers who made this possible. By buying Toshiba printing systems they helped make a valuable contribution to reducing the global emission of greenhouse gases.
About CO2balance
Established in 2003, CO2balance UK Ltd is a leading, UK based, carbon management provider offering carbon calculation, management and reduction services to leading blue chip companies including. As a project developer CO2balance UK Ltd creates African Gold Standard and CDM projects that focus on social, health and community benefits to the families within the project area, in addition to carbon savings.
For more information about CO2balance please visit www.co2balance.com.
