Global energy and carbon management firm Pace has launched a new corporate sustainability commitment called ecogration. This is an extension of Pace's commitment to providing integrated solutions while addressing the impact of the carbon-constrained world on clients' business activities.

Tim Sutherland, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pace

What is unique about what ecogration will offer companies?

Pace’s ecogration commitment ensures that the risks, costs and opportunities embodied in a carbon constrained world will be factored into all the advice, perspective and implementation services that we provide. By doing so we are firmly based in the reality of the markets and their evolution. This allows us to both recommend thoughtful strategies and follow-on with tactical implementation support. Pace is unique in that we excel at implementing what we recommend.

What do you think the biggest challenge is for manufacturers trying to cut their carbon footprints?

In working across our industrial and manufacturing client base regardless of the sector, the biggest, consistent challenge is the internal coordination that it takes to deal with the issue of carbon. Carbon increasingly influences cost competitiveness, brand equity, environmental performance, public relations, investment decision making, etc. Corporations often times under appreciate how the carbon issue cuts across their business functions and when they begin to immerse themselves in it they come to realize that it is an important strategic consideration. That is often times followed by the realization that they do not have the systems, internal expertise and perspective in place to execute a carbon strategy and capture carbon reductions.

How can manufacturers grow their business while cutting carbon?

Primary commodity industrials have much higher energy & carbon intensity and therefore internal process improvements and efficiency gains become competitive advantages while at the same time mitigating future regulatory compliance risk. Both of which, are good for shareholder value.

What are some examples of clients that have had success cutting their absolute emissions?

Alcoa, one of the world’s largest energy consumers, has publicly announced that they have reduced their GHG emission by more than 25% from their 1990 baseline. Alcoa’s core business, primary aluminium production, is among the most energy intensive industrial processes on the planet and yet they have achieved these unprecedented targets.

ENDS