Leave Only Footprints: measuring and Managing Corporate Carbon Emissions

article contents:

-no standard tool for measuring carbon footprint quite yet

-3/4 of businesses attempting to measure carbon footprint, yet only half of them attempting to implement programs to reduce/offset emissons

-"myriad of methodologies" makes it difficult to get an exact measure, causes the entire process to become much more complicated

-Innovest tested Carbon Beta model which not only measures the carbon footprint, but looks at the carbon risk management architecture, the ability to recognize opportunities driven by climate problem, and the performance improvement trajectory over time.

The article mentions holding companies accountable for not only their own emissions, but their customers and suppliers emissions. McElroy refutes this idea in the article, suggesting that accountability should be held at the point of the particular emission, not "up or downstream from it". I think that this idea brings up an interesting point. If companies are held responsible for the emission of other people whom they are connected to, this may encourage them to take fast and drastic action to regulate their emissions, which ultimately yields enormous benefits for the environment. This would facilitate the fast-paced action needed to stop the environmental crisis in its tracks. Yet, as appealing as this concept may sound, it seems unlikely to come into affect. I feel as if companies should not be responsible for the emissions that their own company does not directly produce. Although they are playing in a role in the emissions of their suppliers and customers, the company itself is not producing these emissions. I think that maybe if some sort of compromise was put in to place, for example companies could be held responsible for their suppliers emissions but not their customers, than this may facilitate a reasonable amount of change. It would encourage companies to associate themselves with other environmentally conscious companies, and may ultimately drive those companies who neglect to follow up on modern energy policy out of business. Customers, however, should be personally responsible for their emissions in some way, rather than throwing the blame on the companies.