How Popular Companies in the UK are Minimizing Their Carbon Footprint - Research Proposal Example

How popular Companies in the UK are minimizing their carbon footprint Student ID Name Course Lecturer Date Proposed Dissertation Topic: How popular Companies in the UK are minimizing their carbon footprint Rationale Climate change is a global problem, and carbon dioxide is the gas that plays a significant role in global warming. The Kyoto protocol by the UN holds that countries should minimize emission of greenhouse gases to the target of about 5% from what was reported in the late 90s. Most of the developed countries such as the UK have a target of about 20% reduction; however, the report given in 2003 suggested that there was a need to hit a reduction of 60% by 2050. Big companies have the potential a significant role in the achievement of reduction targets. It is reported that 90 companies contribute to more than half of the total greenhouse emissions. Many countries and environmental agencies have conducted a wide range of campaigns towards the reduction of greenhouse gases due to the impact on the environment. Many companies claim to have adopted corporate social responsibility strategies that focus on environmental sustainability. However, the levels of carbon emission are still high. This research will determine the strategies popular companies have adopted in the reduction of carbon footprint. The research will play a significant role in putting to light the evolution of climate disputes. The private and public sectors should adopt measures of minimizing carbon footprint in the atmosphere. Those who contribute to the highest proportion of carbon emissions must be a part of the solution towards environmental sustainability. Aims and objectives The objectives of this project are listed below 1. To determine the direct emissions of the included companies and the reduction target in UK industrial sector specifically for global companies 2. To develop survey method to assess the strategies adopted by popular companies in meeting the reduction targets. 3. To assess the preferences of the companies for the achievement of the reduction strategies so as to achieve the reduction targets 5. To establish effective strategies that would be used to meet these reduction targets 6. To influence policy development in strategic climate development The objective number 1 focuses on international companies because they are believed to be the largest contributors of carbon dioxide emissions in the UK. The objectives of the projects will address consecutively. Companies have the capacity to measure their emissions by use of fuel-based estimation. The majority of companies have adopted measures that measure and track emissions so as to account for reduction. Thesis Statement: The hypothesis for this project is that popular companies in the UK have not adopted ways of reducing carbon footprint emissions. Literature Review Carbon footprint refers to the overall emission of greenhouse gases caused by human activity. Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas. In 2013, it was reported that it accounted for more than 80% of the total greenhouse gas. The gas is present in the natural atmosphere in the carbon cycle (Arnell 2013). However, the ratio of natural carbon is altered by a wide range of human activities. Climatic change is one the deadliest threats in the globe. The rise in carbon print in the environment is the major cause of changing temperature extremes, alteration in the natural ecology, an increase in acidic rains, increase in ocean levels, and melting of polar ice (Wiedmann and Minx 2008). Due to global warming, the carbon footprint is associated with the current droughts experienced in various parts of the globe. Many industries contribute to carbon dioxide emission through combustion of fossil fuel. There are various processes that do not involve combustion but contribute to emission of carbon dioxide. For instance, processes that produce and consume mineral products and metals, and those that produce chemicals lead to the emission of carbon dioxide (Kinver 2012). It is reported that combustion of fossil fuel contributes to more than 15% of the total carbon emission. In addition, industrial processes utilize electricity. Therefore, emissions from electricity production are common in industries. It is reported the highest proportion of greenhouse impact on the the atmosphere is caused by around 90 companies. The global industrial emission of carbon footprint hit around 1500 gigatonnes in 2010, which is a significant increase and out of the total emissions, nearly 1000 gigatonnes were generated by 90 firms. The companies range from private firms to stat owned firms. It is reported that the majority of companies that emit the highs levels of carbon footprint are largely involved in the blockage of climate actions. For instance, in the US, it is reported that ExxonMobil, BP, and Chevron have used more than $10 million to bribe lawmakers. The 90 major companies are not only involved in the destruction of the planet through the emissions but are also frustrating efforts toward environmental sustainability (Saari 2013).There are numerous companies that produce oil, coal, and gas. More than half of the total emissions in the atmosphere are said to have been emitted in the past two decades. This includes a period before the world realized the dangers of carbon footprint in the atmosphere (Arnell 2013). However, the majority of popular companies are still holding tons of fossil fuel that when combusted puts the globe at a great risk of climate change. It is reported that there are efforts to place individual carbon emitters responsible other than putting the blame on the government. The UK is among the countries that require countries to include their carbon emission information in their yearly reports. In his speech, Deputy Prime Minister of the UK stated that an instance where companies count their expenses without assessing their emission of greenhouse gases does not reflect a true economy. He argued that British companies are required to minimize the emission of greenhouse gases so as to achieve environmental sustainability. However, some companies support the idea, not because they aim at protecting the environment but for the reasons such as saving costs for energy expenses, generate a good social reputation, and assists in the management of social costs. The majority of companies in the UK have endorsed the idea of carbon reporting. This project will illuminate on the strategies companies have adopted so as to reduce the carbon footprint. The majority of companies are required to meet various objectives that range from quality to environmental sustainability. There is a conflict that exists between the business objectives and those of environmental sustainability. As reported by Zac (2012), most companies have adopted some sustainability strategies but some business still claims that they do not have sufficient funds to do so. He argues that there are a wide range of strategies companies can adopt so as to achieve sustainability. Element of Originality While it is reported that in the UK the total emission fell by 8.4%, Kinver (2012) reports that the global carbon emission increased by more than 2.5% in 2012 from 2011.tis is regardless of the numerous efforts by the government to reduce carbon emission in the atmosphere. This data appears to be controversial. Putting in mind that industries are the largest emitters of carbon footprint, it means that some companies have not developed strategies for minimizing carbon footprint. With the constant increase in the global emission, it appears as if nobody is paying attention to the environmental community. From observations, only a small percentage of companies consider the actual impact of carbon footprint emission. The majority of businesses have done nothing to reduce their shipping emissions and other indirect emissions. Indirect emission is the hardest to track as it is mainly ignored. Evaluation of how companies have invested in reducing their carbon footprint will provide a clear picture and provide the way forward for minimizing the load. Proposed Programme of Work The project will take an estimate of six months from February 2016 to April 2016. Five companies have been selected for this project that includes British Petroleum, Shell UK, TransAlta, Alcoa, and Chevron UK. Five executives from each company will be answering a 100 question survey during the project. The participants will be selected randomly by the manager. Mail questionnaires will be sent to the respondents of the respective companies. First, the research team will seek for the management consent and explain the importance and of the project. The method will involve data validation, response partitioning, data coding, and regression analysis. While some companies are optimistic about achieving the reduction target, others are pessimistic that accounting for greenhouse emission in annual reporting would not make any change. According to Colbert, evaluating the current carbon emission for a company facilitates improvement. Companies should develop conscious emission departments to conduct evaluations. It is significant to assess where companies stand so as to identify ways of improving. By developing a benchmark of the total emissions, it is possible to establish an appropriate strategy towards the reduction target. This project will contribute to the generation of this knowledge and from there, improvement strategies may be developed. Facilities, Equipment and Permissions / Authorization The research team will seek authorization will from the management of the companies because the project will be conducted within the normal working days. The project will include questionnaires and data analysis tools. The project will cost an estimate of 1000 pounds. Bibliography Arnell, NW, Lowe, JA, Brown, S, Gosling, SN, Gottschalk, P, Hinkel, J and Warren, RF 2013, ‘A global assessment of the effects of climate policy on the impacts of climate change’, Nature Climate Change, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 512-519. Colbert, Zac,"6 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Company’s Carbon Footprint." Inhabitat Sustainable Design Innovation Eco Architecture Green Building. 2012. Available from: [1 Dec 2015]. Kinver, Mark, "Carbon Emissions Are 'too High' to Curb Climate Change - BBC News." BBC News. 2012. Available from: [1 Dec 2015]. Saari, Emily, "Groundbreaking Study: 90 Companies Responsible for 60% of Global Warming." TckTckTck RSS. 2013. Available from: [1 Dec 2015]. Wiedmann, T and Minx, J 2008, ‘A definition of ‘carbon footprint’, Ecological economics research trends, Vol. 1, pp. 1-11. Read More