Auditing the Carbon Neutrality of Amazon’s New Mega Shed

As credible carbon reduction strategies become an essential component of business success, the specification of carbon neutrality – or a net zero carbon footprint -is becoming an intrinsic part of new building projects.

The recent announcement by specialist building envelope manufacturer and installer, CA Group, that it has completed work on the latest carbon neutral mega shed – a Graftongate development for Amazon, in Dunfirmline – has raised the question of how the carbon neutrality of buildings is audited and why the process is so crucial to the accountability of sustainable development.

Brian Watson, Group Development Director at CA Group, explains: “The positive impact of a company’s ability to demonstrate its emission reductions capability is becoming increasingly clear in areas such as revenue growth, increased market share and improved corporate reputation.Companies able to offer carbon neutrality are showing that they can meet stakeholder demand, present revenue opportunities and prepare a business for future regulation.

“However, in isolation, without the crucial ingredients of credibility, accuracy and transparency, the claim means very little.”

The 80,000m² distribution centre for Amazon has been constructed using CA Group’s Twin-Therm^® built up roof and wall system, selected by Amazon specifically because of its CarbonNeutral^® credentials and 25-year system guarantee.

In order to qualify for CarbonNeutral^® status the Twin-Therm^® system had to be independently assessed and verified by The CarbonNeutral Company, whose CarbonNeutral^® Protocol is the market leading global standard to certify that businesses have measured and reduced their CO2 emissions to net zero for their company, products, operations or services.

The Protocol was developed to guarantee the integrity and credibility of clients’ CarbonNeutral^® certification and it is underpinned by the following principles[1]:

1. Transparency: Disclose the data, methodologies and assumptions used in greenhouse gas calculations and reduction efforts within the bounds of commercial confidentiality.
2. Accuracy: Ensure that the data, methodologies and assumptions used for greenhouse gas calculations and reduction efforts are accurate and time-relevant and that the claims made in connection with such efforts are factual and credible.
3. Conservative estimation: Be conservative when making estimations to ensure that they do not understate greenhouse gas impacts nor overstate emission reductions.
4. Continual improvement: Strive to make continual improvements in greenhouse gas accounting and reductions.
5. Wider context: Ensure that CarbonNeutral^®programmes and claims are an appropriate response to the wider environmental, social and economic impacts of the entity, based upon a high-level understanding of all major impacts.

Permission to display the CarbonNeutral^® mark is only given to clients whose carbon reduction programme is implemented in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol.

To ensure quality of offset projects, carbon footprint assessments and communication, the Protocol itself is regularly reviewed by an Independent Advisory Group and the CarbonNeutral company’s ‘audit trail’ includes an annual independent verification of CarbonNeutral^® programmes – from contracts with carbon offset partners through to contracts with clients.

Watson continues: “In the case of our work with Amazon, CarbonNeutral^® certification has been integral to the success of our Twin-Therm^® offer. The system itself has been successfully used since 1995 and is a cost effective solution providing a high degree of flexibility and exceptional levels of air and water tightness. By using Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra^® by Tata Steel, the building envelope qualifies for the Confidex Sustain® guarantee which renders it CarbonNeutral^®.

Confidex Sustain® exclusively by Tata Steel, is the world’s first cradle-to-cradle CarbonNeutral^® building envelope which provides a combined guarantee covering the performance of the Colorcoat® product as well as a CarbonNeutral^® building envelope itself.

Watson continues: “This guarantee ensures that the CO2 emissions released by the building envelope are measured from manufacture and installation right through use to end-of-lifeand that they are offset through a range of climate friendly projects.”

In addition to working with The CarbonNeutral Company, CA Group has had its Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) process[2] reviewed by third parties including The Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management (ECCM), an international leader in emissions assessment, and Price Waterhouse Coopers, who independently verified the company’s Low Carbon Assessment in accordance with ISO 14040-3.

Watson concludes: “In order to highlight the extent to which we value the integrity of the development of our EPD, which covers our installation methods as well as the fixing and paint manufacturers we use, it has been subject to peer review.

“Accreditation from third party endorsers is crucial in ensuring CA Group’s processes and claims meet the exacting requirements of the industry. However, it is only in those processes being able to withstand the scrutiny of our peers that we can openly and without fear or hesitation declare projects, such as the distribution warehouse recently completed for Amazon, CarbonNeutral^®.”

A full copy of The CarbonNeutral protocol is available for download at: www.carbonneutral.com