Registration open for the world’s first International Carbon Handprint Award until August 19, 2022. Please read instructions how to apply below.
Europe’s largest climate business network the Climate Leadership Coalition (CLC) and Vancouver Economic Commission launched the world’s first International Carbon Handprint Award at the GLOBE Forum in Vancouver on March 31, 2022. The competition is for any company or organization that manufactures a product or sells a service that helps its customers reduce their environmental footprint. Any company in the world is eligible to apply.
The carbon handprint refers to the positive climate impact that using a product or service has compared to other products or services in the same category. The calculation gives the size of the carbon handprint caused by the company’s product or service: the bigger the handprint the better. The Climate Leadership Coalition’s members, VTT Technical Research Center of Finland and Lappeenranta University of Technology of Finland, have created the new environmental carbon handprint method and guidelines for calculating the climate impacts of a product or service.
Climate Leadership Coalition launched the Carbon Handprint Award in Finland on Zero Emissions Day in 2021. However, these product-solutions can be globally significant, so the need for international recognition has become clear. With the International Carbon Handprint Award, the solutions that have a major positive climate impact and help economies reduce the emissions or increase the carbon sinks significantly, are highlighted.
The award will be handed out in two categories: The Most Climate-positive Carbon Handprint Product and The High Potential Carbon Handprint Innovation. The criteria for the award-winning solutions and the application form for the competition can be found on the International Carbon Handprint Award website.
The deadline for registration is August 5, 2022. The jury representing a wide range of business sectors will select the winners. Jury will deliberate in June and notify winners by August 22. The winners will be announced during Zero Emissions Day on September 21, 2022.
“By now there are lots of actions to reduce the carbon footprint of businesses, cities and other organisations and organisations that have been able to reduce their footprint significantly, are positioned high in international rankings. However, typically the carbon footprint reduction happens by acquiring a new product or service that enables it, but the developers of these new solutions are not appreciated sufficiently. With the carbon handprint concept and the award, we want highlight the importance of new climate friendly products and services and share the benefits of them globally”, says Tuuli Kaskinen, CEO, Climate Leadership Coalition.
“Companies in Vancouver really care about the impact that they are making. In fact, in a 2018 survey of 500 businesses in Vancouver, over 29 percent said they offer a product or service that helps restore or preserve the environment. This new carbon handprint methodology allows companies to quantify the positive environmental impact their products are making for their customers.”, says Bryan Buggey, Director, Vancouver Economic Commission.
Vancouver Economic Commission serves one of the world’s fastest-growing, low-carbon economies. Climate Leadership Coalition is the largest climate business network in Europe developing business-driven solutions to address climate change.
More information: Tuuli Kaskinen, CEO, Climate Leadership Coalition, tuuli.kaskinen@clc.fi, +358 50 5149752, Bryan Buggey, Director, Vancouver Economic Commission bbuggey@vancouvereconomic.com and Senni Raunio, Specialist, Project Development, Climate Leadership Coalition, senni.raunio@clc.fi, +358 50 3512390.