R-Biopharm Rhône Ltd. has achieved carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 operational emissions and Scope 3 emissions from business travel. This is in accordance with the guidelines of PAS 2060:2014 for the period of 01 January 2021 to 31 December 2021, with a commitment to maintain from 01 January 2022 to 31 December 2022. This declaration has been verified by BSI.
R-Biopharm AG’s Scottish subsidiary, R-Biopharm Rhône Ltd, is operating in a climate-neutral manner in accordance with the internationally recognized PAS 2060 specification. “We are very proud of our subsidiary R-Biopharm Rhône,” said Christian Dreher, CEO of R-Biopharm. “As the parent company, we are aiming for ISO 14001 certification of our environmental management system next year, because environmental and climate protection are a matter of heart for the entire R-Biopharm Group.”
R-Biopharm Rhône develops test solutions for food and feed analysis and manufactures test kits that offer high precision and accuracy. For the base year 2021, the company achieved its carbon neutral status by purchasing carbon credits from established international reforestation projects. In 2022, it reduced its carbon footprint by about 29 percent with electricity from 100 percent renewable supply and energy-saving initiatives. For the period of 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021, R-Biopharm Rhône submitted extensive documentation that was reviewed and validated by the British Standards Institution (BSI). At the same time, it had made a commitment to maintain this way from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022.
The international specification PAS 2060 is considered the first valid set of regulations for demonstrating a company’s carbon neutrality. It was developed and published by the globally active standards organization BSI. PAS 2060 divides greenhouse gas emissions into three scopes: Scope 1 is direct emissions such as fuel combustion, Scope 2 is indirect emissions such as from the consumption of purchased energy, Scope 3 is 15 other indirect emissions that are sometimes difficult to identify, especially along the supply chain. Companies wishing to demonstrate neutrality in greenhouse gas emissions are advised to do so for Scope 1 and Scope 2 in particular.
Climate neutral in relation to Scope 1 and 2
R-Biopharm Rhône is carbon neutral with respect to Scope 1 and 2 and with respect to Scope 3 regarding its emissions from business travel. Protecting the environment is an integral part of the culture and processes at R-Biopharm Rhône which strives to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. “We are proud to be the first company in our field to be certified as carbon neutral and will continue to improve our green credentials through reduction of our greenhouse gas emissions and investing in eco-friendly equipment,” says Simon Bevis, Managing Director R-Biopharm Rhône. “We are continuing to increase awareness of environmental issues within the company and are looking at new initiatives to further reduce our emissions such as reducing the paper in our kits and going paper free where possible, reducing our energy consumption and increasing recycling for a wide range of materials throughout the company.”
PAS 2060 is an internationally recognized standard used to verify the accuracy of carbon neutrality claims. The standard specifies a four-stage process to demonstrate carbon neutrality:
- Assessment of greenhouse gas emissions based on accurate measurement of data and comparison to a ‘baseline’ year.
- Reduction of emissions by setting science-based targets in a carbon management plan.
- Offsetting excess emissions by purchasing high-quality carbon credits.
- Documentation and verification through Qualifying Explanatory Statement and public disclosure.
