Ecologically sustainable action is an important corporate goal that we at Jarltech have successfully advanced in recent years. For several years now, we have completely done without plastic in our packaging materials – even the adhesive strips on the boxes are made of paper. Since last year, we have been sending our deliveries to you via UPS in a climate-neutral way. For every ton of CO2 a package generates in transit, a corresponding amount of CO2 is saved by a verified emissions reduction project elsewhere in the world. By participating in the UPS CarbonNeutral program, we thus support emission reduction projects – helping to reduce the impact of shipping orders on the climate.
On our green road to success, we are pleased to announce the next big milestone: Jarltech is becoming more and more a climate-neutral company, as we offset a large part of our emissions through certified climate protection projects.
Our climate footprint* has been closely scrutinised by climate protection experts. Our emissions were calculated in accordance with ISO standard 14064 and the guidelines of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (the global standard for greenhouse gas reporting). Three different emission classes were distinguished: Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions.
Emissions occur wherever energy is consumed. Scope 1 emissions result from the combustion of fossil fuels – for example, when heating buildings. Scope 2 emissions are energies purchased for power supply. When accounting for Scope 3 emissions, the greenhouse emissions of further items are added together, for example the purchased goods, the energy supply chain or even employee mobility. We offset the emissions generated by Jarltech in these three categories through our participation in the following three climate protection projects:
Emissions reduction: 3,540,000 t CO2 emissions per year
India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, growing approximately 7 % per year. Its population is also growing. In the medium and long term, energy demand will continue to rise. Up to now, the country has relied mainly on fossil fuels. However, it also has a high potential for the generation of renewable energies, which must be expanded. The hydropower plant in the Kinnaur district of the state of Himachal Pradesh on the Himalayas in India is an excellent example of this.
The waterworks is located on the Satluj River between the towns of Karcham and Wangtoo in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. As a hydropower plant, it uses the natural flow velocity of the river at the gradient to generate energy – without any dam or reservoir. In the underground turbine house, the water drives four turbines before being returned to the riverbed. All the electricity generated is fed into the north Indian transmission grid – so it requires less power from coal-based power plants.
Emissions reduction: 36,000 t CO2 emissions per year
Namibia has large desert landscapes and a long coastline. The country imports 60 % of the electricity it needs from South Africa. The remaining 40 % is produced by hydropower. Both make the country vulnerable to external influences such as droughts and fluctuating import prices. It is therefore important for Namibia to reduce its dependence on imported electricity and diversify its energy mix with renewable energy sources.
Lüderitz on the Namibian coast has the highest wind speeds in the country – making the region perfect for wind energy. Our project supports the construction of five wind turbines there. Their total capacity is 10 MW. Of this, 36,700 MWh will be fed into the Namibian grid each year, which covers the electricity needs of nearly 23,000 people in a sustainable way.
Emissions reduction: 819,000 t CO2 emissions per year
Waste disposal is a major challenge in the metropolitan areas of many emerging economies. Waste materials are often dumped untreated. This produces landfill gas which is harmful to the climate and contains a high proportion of energy-rich methane. The climate impact of methane s a factor of 21 higher than that of carbon dioxide. Another problem is leachate. It forms in landfills when water is contaminated with chemicals in the waste. If the landfill is not properly sealed, it seeps into the ground and contaminates local water resources.
In Istanbul, the two landfills Kömürcüoda and Odayeri together dispose of approximately 19,000 tons of municipal solid waste every day. In our project, generators are installed and commissioned at both landfills to use the escaping landfill gas for energy. Together, the two plants generate an average of 417 GWh of electricity per year, which is fed into the local transmission grid.
These three climate protection projects are great. But we’re not resting on our laurels of just offsetting our emissions through our involvement in these climate protection projects, because the environment is valuable to us. Therefore, we will continue to work hard to further reduce our carbon footprint to a minimum in many areas of our business – we want to be premium green! That’s why we’re switching to smart LED lighting this year. This will enable us to greatly reduce our electricity consumption for lighting in the coming year and thus save gas, as we operate a combined heat and power plant – thus taking a big, green step forward!
What are your experiences with sustainability in the company? Feel free to write us, we look forward to your feedback and tips on how Jarltech can become even greener!
*CO2 emissions generated in 2021
