BT reveals carbon emissions target

As part of its aggressive worldwide corporate carbon reduction targets, BT has announced it is to cut emissions by as much as 80 per cent.

The UK's biggest telco intends to meet these targets through energy efficiency, the purchase of low carbon electricity and on-site renewable generation, with the aim of receiving 25 per cent of its UK electricity requirements from wind turbines by 2016.

BT has also published a new model for measuring and tracking carbon emissions. This will enable BT to measure carbon emissions consistently.

The Climate Stabilisation Intensity (CSI) target links a company's financial and environmental performance to the necessary CO2 reductions. It is this model that will allow for business growth while adhering to stringent global CO2 reductions.

BT's director of sustainable development and creator of the new model Dr Chris Tuppen said that it was important for the company to be sustainable in light of climate change.

"It is imperative that we stabilise the climate. At BT we recognise that it is our responsibility to grow in a sustainable way.

"The CSI Target creates a relationship between BT's CO2 emissions and its financial performance so that they become interdependent. It is a powerful tool for embedding sustainability into organisations worldwide and critical in effecting change," said Tuppen.

BT has already reduced emissions in the UK by nearly 60 per cent between 1996 and 2008. It's hoped that the new model will achieve its 80 per cent target by 2020.