Planetair is proud to announce the publication of its annual report for 2008. Through its annual reports, Planetair continues its ongoing commitment to transparency.
Last year, Planetair was the first carbon offsetter in Canada to publish an annual report.
The David Suzuki Foundation and the Pembina Institute have published a guide to Canadian carbon offsetters. Planetair, previously already ranked first in Canada by carboncatalog.org, received a “strong performance” label, ranking second among Canadian offsetters. “If our annual report had already been published at the time of writing, we would have ranked first overall, but we are of course proud to have been recognized by two eminent environmental NGOs”, said Julian Lee, Planetair’s Director of Operations.
The full report can be accessed here .
The National Capital Commission (NCC) has selected Planetair from among 23 bidders to provide carbon footprinting, energy efficiency and carbon offsetting advice. This large-scale project will take place over the next two years. The NCC is a Crown corporation that is the steward of federal lands and buildings in the National Capital Region.
Planetair has developed a guide for festival and event organizers helping them make their events carbon neutral. The guide accompanies organizers through three steps: quantifying greenhouse gas emissions, reducing emissions, and offsetting those emissions that cannot be reduced through the purchase of high-quality carbon offsets. A calculation tools complements the guide.
The guide is the result of an innovative partnership hosted between Planetair, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, which served as a pilot case, the Fonds d’action québécois pour le développement durable, Rio Tinto Alcan, and Loto Québec
On September 12 2009, Port Perry, Ontario, will host Canada’s first carbon-neutral Half Marathon/5K. Race director Angela Connolly’s mission is to become the first race in Canada to gain environmental certification from the Oregon-based Council for Responsible Sport.
“We will calculate the total amount of carbon dioxide (both direct and indirect) used for this race and offset that total by purchasing carbon credits with Planetair,” says Connolly. To that end, a carbon levy has been integrated in the registration fee. “This Eco-Run will demonstrate to the running community that we can make a difference one light step at a time. This run forges a deep connection between personal health and our planet’s health.”
For more information on this event see www.portperryrun.ca .
Planetair’s offset provider, MyClimate, has been named one of the top three offset providers in the ENDS Guide to Carbon Offsets.
The ENDS Guide to Carbon Offsets has emerged as the essential companion to the voluntary carbon market. ENDS presents the most comprehensive global directory of offset providers published to date. Based on extensive research, it assesses 170 offset
providers and points buyers to the operators that adhere to the highest standards. The guide sets a threshold for offset quality based on the degree of assurance that a tonne of carbon purchased is a tonne of carbon reduced. It also evaluates the degree of sustainability fostered by offsetting. In this evaluation, MyClimate was rated as one of three international companies adhering to the strictest offsetting criteria.
According to the results of this guide, Europe has emerged as the global centre of quality carbon offset providers, with 25 of the
top 30 based or active there. Planetair is pleased to have access to these offsets of such recognized quality, and continues to do its
part to establish a top product in the Canadian market.
LEAD Canada's Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) training courses will be carbon-neutral thanks to Planetair. The two-day courses are currently the only GRI-certified training courses in North America. The courses are targeted at professional report makers and users, including those involved in CSR, engagement, sustainability reporting, etc.
Courses are offered in: Calgary on February 5-6; Montreal on February 12-13; Vancouver on February 19-20; and Toronto on March 2-3, 2009. Please see their website for more information and registration deadlines.
Today, the Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois announced that the party will offset all carbon dioxide emissions generated by her current election campaign with Planetair. According to Marois, this decision to offset the campaign is in line with the party's goal for a greener Quebec.
Planetair is proud to announce that it will be providing offsets to the Quebecois group Mes Aïeux, to certify their upcoming tour as carbon
neutral. The group members are glad to reduce their climate footprint and make a real difference for the environment.
Planetair is proud to announce that it has partnered with the Goethe-Institut Montréal as the official supplier of quality carbon offsets for guests' air travel to the Institute. This partnership was developed bearing in mind the Insitute's current program “The Language of Your Environment,“ which incorporates environmental awareness.
The Goethe-Institut’s Director, Ms. Mechtild Manus, acknowledges the need to “walk the talk“ and accompany awareness with action. Furthermore, Mr. Mathieu Régnier, the invited curator for the campaign, explains, “The goal of the Goethe-Institute is to become carbon neutral one step at a time through its partnership with Planetair”.
As an important cultural player in Montreal, the Goethe-Institut organizes more than 150 events each year. Since many participants travel from Germany, thus generating notable emissions, the Insitute hopes that this initiative will have substantial climate benefits.
For more information on the Goethe-Institut's program “The Language of Your Environment,” please visit their website .
