Digiweb Going Green With CarboNZero Certification

Media Release: 5 May 2008

Digiweb Going Green With New CarboNZero Certification

How green is your data? While the carbon costs of travel, production and energy generation have come under heavy scrutiny, few business people recognise that significant emissions are being generated - quite literally - at their feet.

Each year, the average business server produces approximately a third of a tonne of carbon emissions, according to Christchurch-based data service provider Digiweb. It's something the company says businesses need to be increasingly focused on, as New Zealand's demand for bandwidth and data storage skyrockets.

The company is aiming to be one of the first carbon neutral data service providers in the country - and having just gained its CarboNZero certification - is well on the way to achieving its goal. The CarboNZero programme, conducted by Landcare Research, is an internationally recognised greenhouse gas emissions management and reduction scheme. Aimed at organisations, products, services and events, the programme offers mitigation strategies through the provision of credible and verified offsets. Organisations that have measured, managed (reduced) and mitigated (offset) their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be CarboNZero certified - based on a comprehensive independent auditing process.

Digiweb general manager, Ian Falconer says local companies and organisations are looking for a wider range of ways to cut carbon emissions.

"A lot of businesses are targeting power and fuel usage, and waste generation within their organisations," says Ian Falconer.

"However, as they become more aware of how and where they use energy, an increasing number of larger organisations, local and national government departments, and hi-tech operations are recognising the potential impact of their data use and storage – and the savings that can be made by choosing a CarboNZero provider."

Mr Falconer says Digiweb is leading by example within the data management sector with its CarboNZero accreditation.

"We believe as more businesses look closely at their carbon footprint, we'll see a shift in focus towards working with certified "green" providers," he says.

"The strategies we have put in place will not only make our operation more efficient, they signify our commitment to maintaining sustainable practices."

Digiweb's move toward CarboNZero certification was initiated by managing director, Brendan McNeill. Mr McNeill's commitment was born of a personal desire to see his company operating in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner.

The company took the first step towards certification by identifying significant GHG emission sources and implementing a reduction plan, which set targets and specific actions to reduce those emissions, says Ian Falconer.

Electricity, diesel and long haul airfreight were identified as the highest sources of emissions for the company, and will be the focus of reduction efforts. Emissions from other sources, such as domestic air travel and petrol, also present potential opportunities to reduce emissions.

Digiweb has already proven its commitment to reducing emissions, by switching to Meridian Energy at the end of last year. The change of provider means that electricity use at Digiweb will not create emissions and will not need to be offset in the future.

Digiweb has also reduced its paper trail by changing the way it invoices its customers. Instead of posting invoices, customers now receive emailed versions - reducing the company's printing and postage by over 90 percent.

Digiweb was established over 10 years ago to provide a range of specialist web-hosting and e-commerce solutions for businesses throughout New Zealand. The company provides private hosted systems for a number of national companies and organisations, as well data storage and management solutions. In addition, the company's domain registration service - Discount Domains - is responsible for over 10% of registrations originating in New Zealand.

ENDS

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