Bournes offer sustainable global mobility programmes in partnership with ecolegIT

Posted by By Bournes Relocation Solutions - September 6, 2021

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Bournes are proud to offer all clients the opportunity to incorporate sustainability into relocation services by offsetting the carbon emissions generated by household goods moves, through the ecolegIT sustainability program.

“If we combine forces now, we can avert climate catastrophe”

UN Secretary General António Guterres 

Why are Bournes offering Carbon Offsetting?

Sustainability is fast rising to the top of the agenda for Global Mobility teams and the organisations they serve. A major United Nations (UN) scientific report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently warned that Human activity is changing the climate in unprecedented ways. The UN chief warned that this report is a “code red” for humanity

Contrary to the positive economic benefits of the demand for global mobility to provide specific talent across borders, there is also a huge ecological impact from travel and shipping. According to ecolegIT the average emission from an international shipment is 860 kilograms - roughly 1.896 pounds - of CO2, and as they say “one can only imagine the actual emissions considering the number of global ex-pats is above 56 million people”.

Whilst we implore our global government leaders to act now to effect meaningful change to address global warming, there is also a part that we as companies and individuals play. The transportation industry is one of the leading contributors to global manmade greenhouse gas emissions so we believe we must take individual action too.

We’re already taking significant steps at Bournes to reduce our carbon footprint, but it’s going to take time and collective innovation in our whole industry to drive change at the scale that is needed to create significantly ‘greener’ global mobility. That’s why we have partnered with ecolegIT to provide a solution that helps us measure and reduce our impact straight away. 

What is ecolegIT and how does it work for Bournes clients?

ecolegIT is an independent sustainability programme specially created for the moving and global mobility industry that provides:

  • A smart algorithm to automatically calculate emissions combining global mobility emission factors and historic data into an emission calculation model that is continuously updated through real-world data.
  • Simple offsetting through a single fee per shipment reducing admin burden.
  • Online portal to keep track of carbon offsetting.
  • Fully audited offsetting process including verifying the algorithm, the calculations, and the selection of validated, certified sustainable forestry partners we work with.

 

How are carbon emissions from shipments compensated?

ecolegIT works with sustainable forestry partners for emission compensations. All partners must:

  • Have certification or validation, recognising them as a reliable charity organization, through an independent, governmental institute
  • Operate projects that add value to local society and climate, indicated by acknowledged programs such as the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) as defined by the United Nations and the CCB program.
  • Be able to demonstrate accountable CO2 reduction through an internationally acknowledged credit standard such as VCS or Gold Standard credits

How does Global Mobility measure and demonstrate impact?

ecolegIT carbon emissions certificate

Organisations that offset their carbon emissions through Bournes and ecolegIT receive a physical certificate annually, validated by Parsifal Corporation, demonstrating the compensations made through the ecolegIT program. This helps global mobility teams to clearly and specifically measure and evidence their progress toward sustainability goals. Validation is also available quarterly through the portal.

Why Carbon offsetting and not reduction?

We know Carbon Offsetting isn’t enough, and that long term meaningful action means reducing those emissions in the first place.

At Bournes and throughout the Harmony Relocation Network, we’re working hard on the longer-term initiatives too. Our ISO 14001 environmental management system seeks to reduce our carbon footprint in all areas of our operation: sourcing the most sustainable packing materials and operating a comprehensive recycle/reuse programme; embedding sustainability into our vehicle replacement programme to ensure the vehicles we do have to operate are as environmentally friendly as possible; working with trade partners to combine shipments to reduce vehicle movements and utilising multi-modal transport options.

But we also know that whilst important, these actions can only create a small impact. The big things, the things that create huge reductions in carbon footprint - innovation that brings new technologies, greener transport, and methods of packing - take time and require a huge step-change from the transportation industry as a whole.

Offsetting allows us to reduce impact TODAY.

Want to know more about Carbon Offsetting your employee household goods shipping programme?

If you’d like to find out more you can download the participation guide or simply get in touch and we’ll be happy to explain more about the programme and how it works.

Contact me about Sustainable Global Mobility

Topics: Sustainability

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