King's is one of 12 organisations in England and Scotland to achieve the "Carbon Trust Standard", a new certificate launched today for organisations to prove they are tackling climate change and have made genuine reductions in their carbon emissions.

Carbon Trust Press Release

The accreditation scheme, which is intended to put an end to so-called 'greenwashing', has been created by the Carbon Trust in response to both growing consumer mistrust of organisations’ green claims and confusion among business about how they can reduce emissions and improve efficiency.

Achieving the Carbon Trust Standard will enable King’s College London to take advantage of the bottom line benefits that come from reducing carbon emissions, as well as demonstrating to consumers their real commitment to fighting climate change.

Professor Rick Trainor, Principal of King's College London, said: 'We're delighted to be one of the first institutions to achieve the new Carbon Trust Standard. As well as helping us to improve efficiency, the award is a great way of communicating our environmental credentials to the public, who we know are becoming increasingly carbon conscious.

'In the current climate, it's essential that we remain competitive, and the Carbon Trust Standard is another way we can stay ahead of the game. Cutting carbon is a priority for us as a business, so it is excellent that there is now a credible and robust certification which enables us to showcase our reduction efforts.'

'We have already cut our carbon emissions by 9.4 per per cent in the last three years and by 15 per cent since 2004 as a result of the initiative and are looking forward to build on this success in the future in our work with the Carbon Trust.'

The Carbon Trust Standard is the world’s first carbon award that requires an organisation to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint and actually make real reductions year-on-year. Unlike other award schemes, organisations take action themselves by cutting carbon across their own operations and in their supply chain, rather than paying others to reduce via off-setting – a practice seen as credible by only one in ten consumer respondents in a recent Carbon Trust study.

The implementation of a Carbon Management Strategy has seen the College reduced its energy consumption by 8,999MWh, equivalent to 4,935 tonnes of CO2. It has also achieved over 60-70 per cent recyling of dry waste and a 10 per cent reduction in energy use in residences over one winter. Future targets include 100 per cent recycling of dry waste by 2012 and a 40 per cent reduction in CO2 by 2012.

King's won the Green Gown Award for Sustainable Construction in 2006-7 for its refurbishment of the south range of the King's Building. It is also completing the sustainable redevelopment of the top three floors of the Strand Building as low-energy offices.

Tom Delay, CEO of the Carbon Trust added: 'Our research shows that not only do consumers mistrust business climate change claims, but that business thinks existing carbon award schemes are confusing and lack credibility. What business and consumers both share is a desire for one, credible way to prove an organisation has not only measured, but actually reduced their carbon emissions year-on-year without the use of offsetting. The Carbon Trust Standard is the only answer to this.'

'We congratulate King's College London on being one of the pioneers in achieving the Carbon Trust Standard and challenge other businesses to follow their example and prove that they too are taking tangible steps to fight climate change.'

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Item date 25/06/2008