How low can we go? Soar surpasses emissions target

Soar’s annual Toitu carbonzero audits have just been completed and the news is all good. We didn’t just achieve our target, we exceeded it. In 2016, our aim was to reduce emissions by 40% by end of 2020. We roared past this target a year ahead of schedule.

Continuously reducing GHGs (greenhouse gas emissions) has been a focus for Soar Print since we began our sustainability journey. Since 2009, our achievement has been measured every year by independent auditors working for Toitu Envirocare, who developed the internationally-recognised Toitu carbonzero programme. Here’s a quick summary of our latest results:

· Since we became Toitu carbonzero certified in 2009, we have reduced our emissions by 55.5% (395.79 tonnes in 2009 compared to 176.2 tonnes in 2019)

· We have exceeded the target set at the beginning of 2016 to reduce intensity of our emissions per FTE by 40% by end of 2020, compared to base year of 2015 (an FTE is the annual hours worked by one employee on a full-time basis)

· Our actual emissions have reduced by 38.2% and the intensity of our emissions has reduced by 48.5% since 2015

How are we doing it?

To reduce our emissions year after year, we continuously introduce initiatives that are focused on reducing, recycling and repairing. Most recently, installation of our new CX102 press has resulted in energy savings of 20% and an estimated saving in paper waste of 84 tonnes. We have also installed energy meters that report on energy consumption around the building, which allow us to identify areas where consumption is abnormal and have partnered with Ecotricity, New Zealand’s only provider of Toitu carbonzero certified electricity to provide our power.

An audacious new target has been set

Now that we’re a member of the Climate Leaders Coalition, we’ve been working on targets that are in line with our coalition commitments. Just recently, we set an ambitious new target of achieving an absolute reduction in our Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions combined of 46.1% by 2030, versus 2019. This target is science-based and equates to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. This target will be verified in our next Toitu carbonzero audit and will be published on the Toitu Envirocare website in the form of a disclosure page.

Still the strongest for sustainability

Soar continues to have the strongest sustainability credentials of any New Zealand printing company. In addition to Toitu carbonzero certification for both organisation and product services, we hold these credentials:

· ISO14001 - the internationally recognised standard that specifies the requirements for an environmental management system.

· Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) - a non-governmental organisation that promotes the responsible management of the world's forests.

· Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) - an international non-profit organisation dedicated to sustainable forest management.

Find out more about Toitu carbonzero