Towards a greener future

Head of the Environment Health and Safety (EHS) department, Alfred Netch and Branding and Corporate Identity manager, Ray Vogel explain how various initiatives are helping the IDC to lower its carbon footprint.

There is mounting pressure on governments, companies and individuals to reduce the impact they have on the environment.  The IDC has acknowledged the role it can play by implementing initiatives that lower the Corporation’s carbon footprint and by conducting its business in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner.

Alfred Netch

Netch explains that by conducting environmental due diligence on potential investments, the Corporation plays a major role in improving the environmental performance of companies. 

“We ensure that the projects we finance comply with our Environmental Policy, meet the requirements of our environmental systems and procedures and also comply with the relevant legislation,” says Netch.  “Because environmental problems can result in delays in project implementation, negative publicity and high operational costs if not timeously identified and well managed, environmental sustainability remains an important consideration.”

The EHS department continuously performs environmental, health and safety risk assessments on clients.  Where the client is found not to be compliant with the relevant legislation or industry standards, they are given an opportunity to rectify the situation.  “Compliance with relevant environmental legislation is a condition of approval, and poor environmental performance is viewed as a breach of those conditions,” says Netch. “The IDC can withdraw from the investment if the client continues to show poor environmental performance.”

Compliance with relevant environmental legislation is a condition of approval, and poor environmental performance is viewed as a breach of those conditions.

Internally, the IDC implemented its “Greening the IDC” project in 2007, which aimed at reducing its impact on the environment.  Some of the measures that were undertaken as part of the initiative included discontinuing the use of bottled water at meetings, as well as the use of polystyrene cups and plates in the canteen.  “Our own open plan project has incorporated measures to reduce our water usage and energy consumption,” says Netch. 

Ray Vogel

Over the past five years the IDC has printed most of its marketing collateral on Magno paper stock, an environmentally friendly-accredited paper.  However two years ago the marketing department undertook an investigation into alternative paper stock, specifications, accreditation, and overall costing around other, greener paper options. “From the start it became clear that there would be a need to have full commitment to ‘going green’,” says Vogel. 

“While environmentally friendly paper costs significantly more than the general standard of paper used,  it was agreed that the increase in cost was justified by the overall benefits.

The IDC now prints its marketing collateral on Cyclus Print, which is a 100% recycled and environmentally friendly paper, with no harmful chemicals being used in the production. Even the production by-products are recycled into fertilizer, building materials and energy production. 

“Without a doubt the IDC has lowered its carbon footprint and started cultivating a culture of sustainability and responsibility,” says Vogel. “The IDC will continue to identify and implement new and improved ways of conducting business in an environmentally friendly manner.”