Carbon footprint measurement now available in Bolivia

(La Paz, March 15, 2012).- CAF –development bank of Latin America– hosted a presentation at offices in La Paz on Bolivia’s regulations on greenhouse gases measurement and reduction in the private sector and environmental projects, with the goal of promoting voluntary enforcement.

The Latin American financial institution supported the promotion project of the NB-ISO 140641 standard in Bolivia, carried out by the Bolivian Regulation and Quality Institute (Ibnorca, by its acronym in Spanish), in coordination with Servicios Ambientales S.A.

The project is focused on creating the conditions for carbon footprint inventory at companies and foundations that carry out environmental projects; validating reduction projects according to the regulation; and creating an emissions neutralization framework through pilot tests with several local companies. In the course of 11 months, the project also sought to strengthen Ibnorca’s institutional capacity.

The carbon footprint represents the total quantity of greenhouse gases emissions generated by an entity in one year, the main cause for climate change. That’s why companies throughout the world have set for themselves the fundamental goal of emission reductions. This objective can be attained through valid measurements and applying efficient energy practices, materials and supplies management, investments in emission reduction projects and carbon credit purchases.

Pilot tests

Nine companies and three environmental organizations’ projects participated in the pilot tests, in which emissions were measured by consulting firm Servicios Ambientales and the results were verified by Ibnorca, according to Bolivian regulations.

Participating companies included Banco Bisa, BZ Group, Energética, Gravity, Industrias Fino and Saguapac, which were given a best practices guide in order to achieve energy efficiency, optimize waste management and minimize fuel consumption.

The environmental organizations included the Inti Illimani Association (AII) and its solar furnaces project in the Yungas region; Swisscontact and its energy efficiency project in brick-making, and the Natura Foundation and its forest protection project in El Choré Reservation.

Results

With the CAF financed project completed, Bolivian private companies now have the institutional means to verify the carbon footprint, as well as to validate and verify emission reduction projects by Ibnorca.

Companies and organizations can also have access to a credible, consistent and transparent measurement of their carbon footprint according to ISO 14064. By compensating their emission levels, these companies can be declared “carbon neutral,” which can help them show their environmental credentials to customers and consumers, strengthening their Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy.

Today, the Bolivian private sector has the possibility of neutralizing its carbon footprint through investments in national emission reduction projects. It can also use an emission neutralization framework created to articulate early responses to climate change and thus contribute to the country’s sustainable development, as emission reduction projects help improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable groups.

Additionally, these actions have favorable implications for exports to certain markets that offer opportunities to products with a small carbon footprint. These regulations are not adjusted to any particular framework, are independent and may be used by organizations that take part in trade, projects, or voluntary mechanisms of emissions reduction.