UAE-based smart and green facilities management (FM) company Farnek has recently concluded a corporate carbon footprint assessment for UAE-based printer, Oriental Press.

Measuring CO2e emissions was the initial phase of the project which involved comprehensive data mapping and categorisation for all of its existing printing operations. These include energy and fuel consumption purchased materials such as substrates, printing plates, ink, IPA, rubber blanket, packaging materials and auxiliary materials, upstream and downstream transportation, and other supply chain categories.

Through cutting-edge software provided by an independent third party, Farnek was able to calculate Oriental’s CO2e emissions using consumption data and recognised scientific databases for measuring emission factors, in accordance with Greenhouse Gas Protocol, Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) and ISO 14064 standards.

Using an operational control approach, Farnek has calculated the carbon footprint for all of Oriental’s business activities in Dubai, for the full year from Jan 2021 to Dec 2021. That resulted in a total of 18,864 tonnes of CO2e, with Scope 1 (direct emissions) accounting for 5.3% of the total, Scope 2 (indirect emissions) - 12.2% and Scope 3 (all other emissions) - 82.5%.

Commenting on the results, Nadia Ibrahim, Associate Director – Consultancy & Sustainability at Farnek said: “The highest source of emissions for Oriental Press was from their raw materials - paper substrates which resulted in 51.9% of their CO2e emissions, whereas electricity consumption accounted for just 12.2% of total carbon emissions.

“Upstream and downstream transportation for their purchased goods and product delivery to their customers, accounted for 8.73% of total carbon emissions, while refrigerant leaks accounted for 4.95% of overall carbon emissions.

“Oriental Press was committed to reducing, reusing and recycling the waste it generates and over 92% of that waste is now recycled.”

As part of their ongoing sustainability commitments, Oriental Press is already using FSC and PEFC-certified papers among other certificates, 100% recycled greyboard, vegetable-based ink, water-based glue and alcohol-free fountain solutions.

The completion of their carbon footprint assessment is the first step towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Through this comprehensive assessment, the major emission hotspots have been identified where Oriental Press will now drive its decarbonisation efforts.

“Reducing emissions from our existing resources is our first and utmost priority for our net zero roadmaps,” said Mohamed Al Zeera, Managing Director, of Oriental Press.

In order to reduce carbon emissions associated with electricity consumption, Oriental Press has planned to conduct an in-depth energy audit of their production facility to identify the major energy-consuming assets and implement energy conservation measures to further reduce energy consumption, followed by a transition to renewable energy sources.

“Our decarbonisation plan will be a continuous process and remain an integral part of our corporate strategy. Farnek has also recommended setting short-, medium- and long-term targets, principally because some measures can be implemented quickly whereas others can take time and require significant capital investment, which will need to be planned and budgeted for,” added Al Zeera.