What is carbon-neutral IT leasing?

Through carbon-neutral IT leasing, companies can offset the emissions generated in the lifecycle of their equipment, helping them to operate more sustainably.

But what is carbon-neutral leasing and what does it mean for the environment?

Our carbon footprint is made up of everything we do that produces carbon dioxide.

For a product, company, or process to be classed as carbon-neutral, the carbon emissions generated must be calculated and then offset. The total amount of CO2 emitted must be equal to the amount offset.

By becoming carbon-neutral, the company’s carbon dioxide output has a neutral impact on the environment, helping to reduce the effects of climate change.

The terms carbon-neutral and carbon-free are often used interchangeably. But it’s important to understand the difference between the two terms.

Carbon-free

Carbon-free products, services, and companies do not generate any carbon emissions during the production, supply, or operation processes. This covers the full supply chain, including everything from raw materials and packaging, to logistics. There are very few, if any, examples of truly carbon-free products.

Carbon-neutral

Carbon-neutral products or services do produce CO2 emissions, however, these emissions are then offset through a number of environmental schemes.

Unlike carbon-free products, any product, service, or company can be carbon-neutral, providing they follow the approved standards to calculate their carbon emissions and support certified carb offset projects.

Avoiding, reducing, and substituting harmful greenhouse gasses should be the priority for all businesses. However, it’s not possible to deal with all emissions in this way. In this scenario, carbon offsetting allows businesses to neutralise emissions generation as a result of their operations.

Greenhouse gasses, including CO2, disperse uniformly throughout the atmosphere. So, no matter where harmful gasses are produced, the concentration is roughly the same across the globe.

This means that the offsetting of any carbon emissions that can’t be avoided altogether doesn’t have to happen in the same place they are produced. As long as offsetting happens, it can take place anywhere in the world.

When emissions are offset, funding is provided for climate change mitigation projects. These projects have been proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make a significant contribution to the fight against global warming. They can take various forms, including:

• Forest conservation
• Reforestation
• Re-wilding
• Investment in renewable energy

Carbon-neutral IT leasing allows companies to lease IT equipment in a sustainable way.

The approach involves offsetting the carbon emissions that are generated during the production, transportation, use, and end-of-lease stages of the leasing cycle.

Businesses taking part in carbon-neutral IT leasing receive a certificate of the CO2 emissions saved, issued in accordance with international standards. This guarantees that the savings will only be used to offset CO2 emissions once and any future CO2 emissions generated will need to be offset separately.

Addressing climate change has never been more urgent. Greenhouse gasses, such as CO2 are increasing average temperatures worldwide, contributing to rising sea levels, changing weather patterns, and other factors associated with climate change.

For businesses, that means adopting climate-neutral practices and sustainable solutions is crucial to their success.

When implemented alongside measures to avoid and reduce CO2 emissions, carbon offsetting allows companies to operate more sustainably and take positive steps to help mitigate climate change.

Carbon-neutral IT leasing not only allows businesses to improve their green credentials but also means they can make a positive, truly valuable contribution to climate change mitigation.

With our green financing option, carbonZERO, companies can now make carbon-neutral IT investments for the first time.

Under the scheme, our customers can pay to offset the total CO2 emissions of their IT assets, including the production, use, and end-of-use phases, as well as all transportation. We’ll calculate the CO2, equivalents and offset them through sustainable investment in certified climate change mitigation projects.

And, for our customers, switching to a carbonZERO leasing plan only increases their monthly lease instalments marginally – it costs just a couple of pence each month to make a smartphone carbon neutral, for example.

To find out more about carbonZERO and carbon-neutral IT leasing, get in touch.