The Institut Català del Suro Foundation renews its seal for another year Program of Voluntary Agreements for the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions that has been maintained since 2015. The program aims demonstrate the entity's carbon footprint in line with the European guidelines established by Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, it is an annual commitment to identify and improve critical points and reduce the entity's carbon footprint.

The 2023 inventory

The 2023 inventory includes direct combustion emissions from mobile sources and indirect emissions from purchased energy, transport and services used.

In terms of electricity, direct and indirect emissions have been reduced to 46,15% and indirect emissions from purchased electricity have decreased by 100% thanks to it coming from renewable sources.

Direct emissions from the combustion of fixed sources remain zero, while direct emissions from own transport increase by 7.70% mainly due to the work meetings and tastings of the CORK2WINE project in Haro (La Rioja).

Ups and downs in indirect emissions

Beyond electricity, other indirect emissions have increased as a whole, although there are areas where they are decreasing.

In terms of distribution transport, they are down by 50,20% as fewer transoceanic sample shipments have been made via air transport. If we look at transport on tour, the emissions decrease by 9,88% due to the implementation of the possibility to do a telework day.

Indirect emissions of waste and water consumption decrease (by 0.59% and 7.31% respectively) Staff awareness, the commitment to green chemistry as well as the change of some protocols from the classic soxhlet extraction system to the use of the innovative ASE accelerated solvent extraction system could explain this trend.

Indirect emissions from business trips increase by 5,50% mainly derived from the growth of the R+D+i department which has been reflected in an increase in projects awarded and in progress, the incorporation of a new member and in an increase of the mobility of the technical staff. The growth of the R+D+i department is also accompanied by an increase in the turnover of the Cork Center agri-food laboratory of the foundation, a fact which explains the increase of 88,52% of indirect emissions from the transport of customers and visitors derived from the visit of an international customer and the insistence to register all visits.

The 2023 improvements

The improvements carried out in 2023 consisted of the installation of three solar curtains in three windows in order to favor the correct air conditioning of the laboratory.

The challenges for 2024

Looking ahead to 2024, it has been planned to replace four 72W fluorescent light points with LEDs in the chromatography department and to install two more solar curtains in two windows to promote proper air conditioning in the library and the room of office meetings.

Committed to the environment

The Voluntary Agreements Program is driven by theCatalan Climate Change Office (OCCC) and aims to recognize organizations that voluntarily want to establish a commitment to reduce their emissions. The seal is reviewed annually and measures to improve are proposed for each campaign. ICSuro's participation in this program responds to the foundation's sensitivity to the environmental, social or economic impact it generates in its environment. In this sense, ICSuro is also integrated into the international management model of theEconomy of the Common Good and has self-assessed on the basis of this system. Consult the memory.