Sights on a Positive Carbon Handprint on Zero Emissions Day

(Climate Leadership Coalition) The climate business network Climate Leadership Coalition (CLC) has launched the world’s first Carbon Handprint Award to mark Zero Emissions Day.

September 21 will again mark Zero Emissions Day. CLC brought the concept to Finland in 2017, since when citizens have been encouraged to pay attention to their own consumption choices on this day. Many of CLC’s member organisations offer products and services to help citizens understand the size of their own carbon footprint and reduce climate emissions from housing, mobility, food and other things. When a solution provided by a company helps to reduce the carbon footprint of citizens and other companies, the company can increase its own positive carbon handprint.

If we are able to produce products and services that can help to lower emissions also outside of Finland’s borders, Finland can be a much larger climate influencer for its size. In line with its strategy, CLC is striving to promote climate-positive business and to support its members in reaching climate leadership.

From the very outset, CLC has been actively involved in developing the carbon handprint concept. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and LUT University are two CLC members who have been leading the way in the development of standards-based carbon handprint calculation methods. Increasing the carbon handprint is also becoming a key goal for businesses and many CLC member organisations have already defined the size of carbon handprints for their own products and services.

“To raise global recognition of a positive carbon handprint, we decided to innovate a Carbon Handprint Award. Through the award, we aim to highlight those products and services that help citizens to reduce their own carbon footprint in the spirit of Zero Carbon Day,” says Jouni Keronen, CEO, Climate Leadership Coalition.

CLC is now for the first time making the Carbon Handprint Award in two different categories: The Most Climate-positive Carbon Handprint Product and The High Potential Carbon Handprint Innovation.

The award for the most climate-positive carbon handprint product will be given to a CLC member organisation that has successfully developed a product that has already achieved a significant emissions reduction. The award for the carbon handprint innovation showing high potential will be made to a start-up business for a product that is commercially viable and which can achieve significant global emissions reduction.

CLC’s Board chose the recipients of the award on the basis of applications received and analyses of start-ups.

The most climate-positive carbon handprint product in 2021 is Neste MY Renewable Diesel^TM. This fuel can help to cut emissions from motoring by up to 90% compared to using traditional fossil fuel. Neste MY is suitable for all diesel engines and is made from waste and residue raw materials. Neste MY had a positive carbon handprint of more than 9.9 million tonnes of CO2e in 2020, which equates to the annual carbon footprint of almost a million Finns. Neste aims to reduce its customers’ annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 million tonnes of CO2e by 2030 with its renewable products.

The high potential carbon handprint innovation is a textile fibre developed by the Finnish company Spinnova. Spinnova has already started fibre production and the first industrial-scale plant will start operating in Jyväskylä in 2022. The innovation allows the use of traditional cotton to be replaced in textile products. Annual greenhouse emissions from cotton fibre production are estimated to exceed 50 million tonnes of global CO2e. The carbon footprint of Spinnova’s fibre is 64% less than traditional cotton. Spinnova has been listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland since summer 2021 and has partnered with well-known brands such as Marimekko, Adidas and North Face.

The Carbon Handprint Awards were presented at the EU Climate Pact held in Lahti on 21 September to mark Zero Emissions Day.

Zero Emissions Day has been designed to give the world a break from fossil fuels and to increase awareness about the harm caused by carbon emissions. The goal is to engage people towards more climate friendly choices in their personal life. Zero Emissions Day was launched in Nova Scotia, Canada in 2008. CLC began organising the event in Finland in 2017. In 2021, the event was held in partnership with the City of Lahti, which is the EU Green Capital.

Many CLC member organisations are holding various campaigns for their employees and stakeholders. Anew feature in 2021 is the Hour for the Climate discussions, which aim to hold workplace discussions at how each of us can reduce climate loading in our own everyday life. Zero Emissions Day is also marked in schools, and Otaniemi Upper Secondary School, will organise a Zero Emissions Day event.

Climate Leadership Coalition is the largest non-profit climate business network in Europe. CLC is a non-profit association and its 87 organisational members employ 520,000 people globally. CLC’s corporate members represent almost 70% of the market cap of OMX Nasdaq Helsinki. CLC’s members believe that transitioning society towards a sustainable economy and consumption habits is not only possible but also economically viable. READ MORE