MyClimateLux - The Climate Protection Partnership MyClimateLux – Introduction

The nonprofit organisation MyClimateLux was founded in June 2008 by Energieagence, the Centre de Recherche Public Henri Tudor and Enovos Luxembourg. The activities of the association concentrate primarily on programmes and pro- jects initiated to reduce greenhouse gases. In this context, MyClimateLux has now also entered into a partnership agree- ment with the Swiss foundation The Climate Protection Partnership. Science-based and market-oriented, MyClimateLux offers a comprehensive package of services for offsetting in accordance with the principles of «avoid – reduce – offset» and «do the best and offset the rest». This is how myclimate turns the challenge of climate change into your opportu- nity. myclimate services

Headquarter International myclimate representatives projects

Carbon Management Services myclimate carbon offset Projects Offsetting

Using carbon assessments and car- myclimate develops and supports Thanks to MyClimateLux, individu- bon reports as well as other carbon offset projects around the als can fly in a climate neutral way comprehensive LCA (Life Cycle world that directly reduce green- and offset their car and household Assessments), myclimate assesses house gases: Fossil fuels are being emissions. MyClimateLux also the ecological footprint of products replaced by or offers tailored solutions for busi- and processes. In addition, alternatively, allow the realisation nesses. For instance, it is possible MyClimateLux supports companies of energy efficiency measures. to make individual departments, with a range of tools to help them myclimate carbon offset projects products or even entire companies develop a climate strategy and fulfil the highest standards (CDM, climate neutral. Using the offset optimise their processes. Gold Standard). They lead to a payments, MyClimateLux develops reduction in CO2 emissions while and supports high quality carbon making a significant contribution offset projects around the world . to in the respective regions. At least 80 percent of the offset funds flow into the myclimate carbon offset www.myclimate.lu projects. Carbon Management Services (CMS) Carbon Management Services Management Carbon

Today, companies are facing numerous social and environmental challenges. One of the most important topics among them is climate change. With services such as Carbon Footprinting (i.e. CO2 calculations), LCA (Life Cycle Assessments) or reporting, as well as support in communications and competence development, Carbon Management Services turns the climate change challenge into your opportunity!

The three factors of success

Carbon Footprint Performance Management System Communication

At which point in the product MyClimateLux supports companies Many organisations are already lifecycle do most of the green- in the collection and interpreta- doing their best to minimise housegas emissions accumulate, tion of relevant data for decision- greenhouse gas emissions. and where are reduction measures making processes, as well as for the MyClimateLux reviews operational meaningful? MyClimateLux pro- optimization of products or opera- initiatives, creates fact-based vides answers to these questions by tions. The performance manage- perfomance statements, offsets analysing greenhouse gas emissions ment system supports you with the unavoidable emissisons and offers of products or processes. data analysis and interpretation for the «climate neutral» label as an planning and implementation, as innovative approach to communi- well as for evaluation and report- cate this commitment. ing.

www.myclimate.lu Carbon offsetting Carbon Management Services Management Carbon Carbon offsetting

The average luxembourg CO2 output is around 21 tonnes per person and year. To guarantee a stable climate, this

annual per capita output should be reduced to a maximum of 2 tonnes of CO2 as soon as possible. This is the amount that is currently emitted during the normal operation of a car. Measures for reduction in the areas of personal activi-

ties and decisions are required. In addition, externally purchased CO2 reductions can help to rapidly reduce global CO2 emissions. myclimate offers conscientious businesses and other organisations a simple, innovative and easily teachable approach to making a contribution to carbon offsetting. By supporting carbon offset projects in developing nations and emerging countries, they can offset their climate impacting emissions in other countries around the world.

The principle of carbon offsetting Climate neutral with myclimate

As a first step, myclimate calculates the amount of green- Depending on the type of organisation, climate house gas emissions produced during a specific activity damaging emissions are generated from various (e.g. the production process or a business trip). sources. The most significant ones being the To offset the calculated greenhouse gas emissions, one following: pays a specific amount of money, which MyClimateLux -- Travel: business flights, other business trips then invests in carbon offset projects. The offset and employee commuting payments allow climate-impacting fossil energy sources to be replaced with renewable energies or alternatively, -- Infrastructure: heating, air conditioning and they allow the realisation of energy efficiency meas- power consumption ures. In this way, the same amount of emissions which -- Production and distribution: energy consump- are originally produced are later saved. Thanks to the tion during the production and distribution of carbon offsetting mechanism, emissions are reduced at products those locations where it is most economically effective. For instance in developing nations carbon offset projects -- Waste disposal and paper consumption may be implemented at lower costs compared to within -- Food and drinks Luxembourg. In addition, the MyClimateLux carbon offset projects contribute to sustainable development in the respective project regions.

www.myclimate.lu The way to climate neutrality Projects Standards

Standard calculations can be performed using exist- The myclimate Gold Standard portfolio comprises over- ing emissions calculators, and the resulting amounts seas projects that fulfil the Gold Standard CDM criteria of greenhouse gas emissions can then be offset. Some (Gold Standard CERs) or generate Gold Standard VERs. examples: CER - Certified Emission Reductions -- Climate neutral business flights: calculation and off- setting of the emissions produced by business flights CER projects are official projects of the Clean Develope- -- Climate neutral businesses: calculation and offsetting ment Mechanism (CDM), which is regulated according to of the emissions produced by business activities the . These bigger projects are implemen- ted in developing and emerging counties and are registe- -- Climate neutral events: calculation and offsetting of red with the United Nations. the emissions produced by events CER projects generate Certified Emission Reductions For more complex scenarios, myclimate offers calcula- (CERs). These emission reduction certificates can be tions tailored to specific requirements. For instance, it is traded within the European emission trading system and possible to calculate and offset the emissions produced bought by companies or countries to help them achieve by individual business departments, products or specific their reduction targets. The certificates are also suitable processes. for voluntary offsetting. MyClimateLux supports clients and partners in effectively communicating their carbon offsetting contribution with VER - Verified Emission Reductions texts, pictures and a label that certifies climate neutral- ity. In addition, MyClimateLux publishes the commitment The acronym VER stands for «Verified Emission Reduc- via the myclimate website, its newsletter and other suit- tion» and describes the kinds of certificates that may able channels (events, brochures, media, exhibition stalls only be used for voluntary greenhouse gas offsetting. In etc.).. contrast to the CDM projects, to which a single and inter- nationally recognised regulation applies, such unified standards do not exist for VER projects. However, mycli- Price mate also develops and controls the voluntary projects according to the strict CDM guidelines. All myclimate VER projects fulfill the tight guidelines of the Gold Standard Via the offsetting mechanism, MyClimateLux finances or are on their way to Gold Standard registration. the additional costs arising through the application of renewable energy sources compared to the use of fossil Luxembourg carbon offset projects energy. This cost varies depending on the size of the pro- ject, the technology used and the country in which the One of the objectives of MyClimateLux ist to generate project is implemented. For instance, the costs involved a climate protection project in Luxembourg, in order to in reducing a tonne of CO output differ considerably 2 promote energy efficiency and renewable energy in the between a wind project in Madagascar and a biogas Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. system in Nepal. This is why the cost per ton of CO2 varies from project to project. MyClimateLux calculates an average cost per portfolio which comes about as an average of all the carbon offset projects that are part of the portfolio. Individually selected projects will have a specific cost.

Selected projects

MyClimateLux offers business clients with an offset volume of over 100 tons of CO2 per year the choice of offsetting within individually selected carbon offset pro- jects. In the case of emissions certificates not being able to be generated and retired within the desired project, myclimate will replace them with emissions reduction certificates of the same quality (e.g. Gold Standard with Gold Standard certificates, CERs with CERs). www.myclimate.lu Carbon offset projects Carbon offset projects Carbon offset

myclimate offsets greenhouse gas emissions exclusively with high quality carbon offset projects in developing or emerging countries. To assure high transparency and emission reductions over the whole project life cycle, myclimate finances and implements together with partners its own carbon offset projects. Because of myclimate’s requirement to support only high quality projects, international, independent studies acknowledge myclimate as one of the world´s leading provider of offsetting measures in the voluntary market.

Hight quality requests

Permanency Sustainable development Additionality

By replacing fossil and climate Besides the reduction of CO2, all The principle of additionality states affecting energy sources by myclimate carbon offset projects that emission reductions have to be environmentally friendly ones, all are required to make a positive additional to every reduction which myclimate carbon offset projects contribution to sustainable deve- would happen without the Kyoto reduce greenhouse gas directly at lopment in the respective regions. Protocol. In other words: A project the source. myclimate exclusively Some of the positive sustainability would not have been implemented supports projects that apply rene- effects are, for instance, the reduc- without the funds raised by the wable energy technology, imple- tion of air and water pollution, purchase of emission reductions ment energy efficiency measures or the improvement of the quality through myclimate. Projects that reduce methane emissions. of life of the local population, the would have been implemented transfer of knowledge and techno- anyway, or which would only logy, and the creation of jobs. The have earned extra profits through sustainability criteria of the Gold myclimate contributions are not Standard are regarded as guideli- supported. nes for all myclimate carbon offset projects.

www.myclimate.lu Facts in favour of MyClimateLux Facts

To counteract climate change, greenhouse gases need to be avoided and reduced as much as possible and the rest emis- sions that can’t be prevented need to be offset. With the activities climate education, carbon management services and carbon offsetting myclimate offers widespread services from one source. As a non-profit foundation it’s possible for myclimate to apply offset earnings and contributions efficiently. At minimum 80 percent of the offset earnings are put directly into the carbon offset projects which are developed by myclimate and partners. Because of the proximity to the projects total transparency concerning the input of the finances and the improvements of the different projects can be assured. Moreover MyClimateLux provides detailed project information.

Effective use of donations Guaranteed emission reductions

In accepting donations from voluntary carbon offsetting, myclimate guarantees its clients the best possible use of myclimate is committed to reducing the corresponding donations through the validation of carbon offset pro- amount of CO2 emissions. myclimate guarantees that the jects at their beginning as well as annual verification of amount of CO2 that is reduced is at least the same as the the achieved emission reductions in accordance with UN amount generated by the donor. As a non-profit organi- standards and/or the Gold Standard. The foundation’s sation, myclimate further guarantees that at least 80 support of carbon offset projects is performance related, percent of offset payments are channelled into carbon i.e. according to actual and declared emission reductions. offset projects. By international comparison, this repre- The donations are accordingly only invested in projects sents one of the highest figures. once the emissions performances have been ascertained by an external UN recognised certification organisation High-quality carbon offset projects such as SGS, TÜV or DNV. myclimate carbon offset projects meet the strictest inter- International recognition national quality standards (CDM and/or Gold Standards). Apart from reducing greenhouse gases, these projects International surveys (eg. ENDS Carbon Offset Guide demonstrably contribute to sustainable development in 2008 or Evaluation of Tufts University, www.myclimate. the region. Therefore, both the local population and the org/en/portrait/reactions-to-myclimate/studies) have climate benefit. reviewed myclimate and recommended it as one of the world’s leading carbon offset providers. Some of the fac- Project development tors that prove decisive in these appraisals are the high- quality carbon offset projects, the transparency, the myclimate evaluates and selects projects very carefully. user-friendly CO2 calculators, as well as the non-profit The foundation accompanies the project partners in the organisation status. The constantly growing, responsible respective countries from the outset and maintains a client base of the dedicated NGO also shows the broad close and collaborative relationship with them. By enter- recognition and credibility. ing the scene early on as a trusted coach, myclimate can influence the development of the project and ensure compliance with its high quality standards. www.myclimate.lu Facts yourself asaresponsible organisationandmakeacontributiontoclimateprotection! tool in the form of tailor-made CO tailor-made of form the in tool effective an you offers MyClimateLux addition, In cesses. pro and products of impact climate and environmental the of analyses scientifically-based with questions such answers MyClimateLux applied? best them to reduce measures are where and produced, emissions of amounts highest the are processes, company your of which within and lifecycle, product the within point At which CO of Calculation countries. alised industri nearly and developing in projects offset carbon quality high in offset be can emissions rest Inevitable measures. reduction effecitve for decision for basis solid a offers and processes and products for footprint carbon the calculates services management Carbon emissions. gas greenhouse significantly reduce or avoid can oneself by everyone how shows MyClimateLux source. one from package service all-embracing an offers MyClimateLux –offset» –reduce «avoid of principale the With Ways to cooperate MyClimateLux helpstomakeareal contributiontoclimatechangebyhelpingyoureduce yourCO for increasing brandacceptanceandcustomerloyalty,aswellconstitutinganimportantsalescriterion. tions, withthebattleagainstclimatechangebeingacentraltheme.Beinginvolvedinprotection isakeytool In recent timesthefocusofpublicawareness has movedtoward theecologicalandsocialresponsibility oforganiza- ties and products. and ties activi by generated emissions tocalculate internet and intranet your in instance for use can employees your and Your contributiontoclimateprotection 2 emissions 2 calculators which you you which calculators - - - events. or products individual departments, tospecific also but company entire tothe applied be may label neutral» «climate The emissions. tooffset ways different of range a offers MyClimateLux MyClimateLux. from projects offset carbon quality high with emissions your Reduce Climate neutral with MyClimateLux Your specific benefits ------customer loyalty!customer and acceptance brand you increase climate the for involvement your communicating By ronmental management system. envi your in value additional You create will organisation within sensitized surroundings! sensitized within organisation aresponsible as yourself You position will You will be effective at reducing CO reducing at You effective be will tary carbon offsetting! carbon tary volun in trendsetters the You among be will of the 21st century! the of challenges greatest the of one change, climate to contribution You make adistinct 2 output.Position www.myclimate.lu 2 ! - -

Your contribution Nr. de compte: IBAN LU09 0081 7198 0700 1003 Code SWIFT: BLUXLULL

MyClimateLux a.s.b.l. www.myclimate.lu 2, rue Thomas Edison [email protected] L-1445 Strassen Phone: (+352) 2737-6611 R.C.S. F7602 Fax: (+352) 2737- 6111