EQ’s Sustainability & Global Climate Change Program
Environmental Quality Management, Inc. (EQ) is proud to announce its new Sustainability and Global Climate Change Program.
Global climate change poses significant risks to the world economy. The burning of fossil fuels to meet energy needs, loss of forests, and other activities are increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG) and contributing to climate change. Discourse now focuses on the rapidity and severity of change and what must be done. Many countries around the world are focused on reducing GHG emissions, and the public is demanding action on the part of government and businesses to help protect the environment.
EQ wants to be recognized as a corporate environmental leader, and as such, is committed to a path of action toward environmental sustainability.
EQ’s new sustainability program will ensure that services are delivered and facilities are operated in a more sustainable manner. This means reducing the company’s environmental footprint, promoting environmentally responsible business activities, and offering environmentally responsible products and services.
EQ’s sustainability program includes an in-house Sustainability Team, policies, procedures, guidelines, metrics, budget, annual report to the Board of Directors, and yearly audits by a third party.
EQ has already initiated a number of activities in support of this new program, including:
EQ has developed the following corporate-wide GHG reduction goals:
- Reduce 2008 carbon footprint intensity when compared to 2007 baseline.
- Reduce greenhouse gas emission intensity (lbs CO2-E/employee) by 1 percent per year.
- Implement practices and policies that are designed to reduce calendar year 2012 carbon footprint relative to 2007 by 8 percent.
- Reduce energy use intensity (energy use per employee and/or per square foot of occupied space) within company premises on a year-to-year basis.
- Purchase renewable energy and/or offset credits as part of the effort to encourage technological innovation.
- Encourage car pooling and the use of public transportation.
- Replace corporate owned/leased passenger vehicles with hybrid and/or alternative-fuel vehicles if the life-cycle costs are less than 110 percent of a comparable gasoline-fueled vehicle.
- Reduce the amount of paper used, on per-employee and per-customer bases, by expanding electronic services and using paperless delivery options for clients and customers.
- Conserve water and achieve a year-over-year net reduction in potable water usage.
- Implement purchasing practices designed to procure goods that have green environmental specifications. EQ will substitute less-toxic materials whenever the alternative material is capable of achieving comparable product performance and the purchase price is no more than 10 percent higher.
- Increase efforts to reuse and recycle surplus materials by measuring and quantifying the amount of paper, metal, universal waste, waste oil, plastic, and e-waste generated annually.
- Dispose of electronic equipment and devices in an environmentally responsible manner. EQ will consider disposal options at the time we first make decisions about the procurement of products and services.
- Publicize pollution prevention accomplishments.
- Recycle paper, glass, plastic, used oil, and metal throughout the organization, wherever municipal recycling programs or practical alternatives exist.
- Provide cash incentives for employees to reduce the amount of GHG emissions associated with commuting to work.
EQ is working to complete its first annual GHG inventory of emissions from fuel combustion (e.g., vehicles, equipment, purchased electricity, boilers, etc.) This 2007 baseline will allow the company to measure progress toward corporate-wide reduction goals. The results of this inventory will be posted on the company website.
EQ has joined a coalition of organizations that are making an extra effort to reduce greenhouse gases. As part of this program, called the “Go Green Challenge,” EQ must develop and work toward one environmental goal. For more information, visit www.hcdoes.org/gogreen.htm.
For more information about EQ’s Sustainability and Global Climate Change Program, please contact Tom Robertson at 1-800-229-5299.