Doing Business the Sustainable Way

With increasing consumer awareness and multilateral frameworks like Kyoto Protocol coming into force, increasing numbers of companies have been focusing on 'energy efficiency' practices. Climate Neutral Network (Network) is an alliance of companies which helps organizations come out with products, services and processes in such a way that they have a net zero impact on the Earth's climate. Network also offers 'Climate Cool' ('Cool') certification for products and companies that conform to this outcome. Other activities of the Network include offering technical assistance to companies to make them climate-friendly, and developing a marketplace where 'Cool' products can be bought and sold.

A company is certified as 'Cool' if it manages complete reduction and offsetting of the greenhouse gases generated due to its business practices starting from procurement of raw materials to the sale of its finished products. Certification of individual products or services as 'Cool' also requires reduction and offset of climate impact through the entire product life cycle which would include sourcing, production, distribution, usage and end-of-life disposal. Companies have found various advantages in being certified as 'Cool'. Shaklee Corporation , the first company to receive 'Cool'certification, saw the engagement with the Network as an opportunity to leverage on its history of environmental focus and performance.