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Helping the industry go green
With UK businesses under increasing pressure to demonstrate their green credentials, a new survey released by Calor proves that businesses in the catering and hospitality industry are more knowledgeable than the general public about which activities are worst for CO2 emissions.
Catering in Scotland explains Calor's carbon-offsetting initiative, and outlines how your business can help save the planet, as well as money…
As a leading supplier of LPG to the catering and hospitality industry, Calor approached 111 hospitality and catering businesses to gain their perception of energy use. In the survey, 92% of catering and hospitality businesses ranked patio heaters as the best energy option for minimising carbon emissions.
The Calor Carbon Offset Programme (CCOP) for LPG patio heaters is part of its ongoing commitment to minimise the effect of its business and products on climate change.
Calor has partnered with Equiclimate, the carbon-offset agency, to allow all catering and hospitality customers to offset the CO2 produced by their patio heaters, and will be funding offsets for the production and distribution of the 13kg Patio Gas cylinders used to fuel their heaters.
When a customer purchases a patio heater and/or Patio Gas, they'll be given the option of paying a designated sum by credit card for a one- or five-year period to offset their LPG use, and they'll receive a certificate showing the amount of gas they have offset.
Additionally, as part of the EU Emissions Trading scheme, Equiclimate will use funds from Calor to buy carbon allowances from a number of countries so that they are forced to produce less carbon, meaning that emissions start to be reduced straight away.
Dr Eric Johnson, Managing Director of Atlantic Consulting and a National Expert Reviewer for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is keen to emphasis the merits of patio heaters when compared to other energy-hungry appliances: "Once comparisons start with well-known offenders such as cars and aeroplanes, patio heaters dwarf in comparison. It would take more than 50 years of average patio heater usage to produce as much CO2 as a one-way flight from London to Sydney."
So, with initiatives like the Calor Carbon Offset Programme, it really is worth the effort to take action, both for yourselves and for the planet. Isn't it time you took control of your carbon?
- For further information about the Calor Carbon Offset Programme, and to view questions from Calor's Patio Heater press launch, visit www.calorcarbonoffset.co.uk.
- Call 0800 662 663 for Calor's range of Mirage patio heaters, or visit www.bbq.co.uk
This article has been edited from its original version. For the complete feature please see Catering in Scotland magazine May/June 2007.
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