Dell’s Net Carbon Emissions Down More than 18 Percent Year-Over-Year
In recognition of Climate Week, Dell announced today it reduced its net greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 18.2 percent in its fiscal year 2009 (FY09) over fiscal year 2008 (FY08).
This reduction includes an estimated 12.4 percent drop in Dell’s scope 1 emissions (associated with activities such as heating, cooling and use of company vehicles); and an estimated 18.8 percent reduction in scope 2 net emissions (scope 2 emissions - created during the production of the electricity purchased for Dell’s buildings and on-site activities - less emissions reduced through green electricity purchases) .
The company also reduced scope 3 emissions, associated with employee air travel, by about 30.3 percent.
“While we continue to make progress, we remain focused on our goal - to achieve a 40 percent reduction of global GHG emissions by 2015,” said Dane Parker, Dell’s director of global environment, health and safety. “By improving energy efficiency in our operations, purchasing more renewable energy and continuing to evaluate clean and renewable sources of energy, we’re confident we can meet this ambitious target.”
Dell also reduced its total electricity consumption in FY09 by 2.9 percent and increased green electricity purchases by 436 percent over FY08. Dell sources more than 25 percent of its global electricity needs from renewable energy sources.
The company offsets its remaining carbon impact by purchasing credible, third-party-verified renewable energy credits (RECs). This investment helped Dell become the only company in the computer industry to achieve operational carbon neutrality – meaning it purchases enough renewable energy and RECs to offset the impact of its electricity usage, direct CO2 emissions and employee air travel -- in August 2008.
In addition, Dell’s partnership with Conservation International on a reforestation program in the Fandriana-Vondrozo Forest Corridor in Madagascar aims to prevent an estimated 500,000 metric tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere by 2013.
More information on Dell’s emissions reductions and operational carbon neutrality is available in Dell’s corporate responsibility report.
“As the focus on carbon intensifies and our world moves to a low-carbon economy, it’s encouraging to find leaders such as Dell reducing power consumption, making their products and packaging more environmentally-responsible and educating customers on electronics recycling options,” said Kate Krebs, The Climate Group’s director of sustainable resources for North America. “We applaud Dell’s emissions reductions and encourage other companies and organizations to follow its example of world class environmental leadership.”
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