How can we climb the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme League Table? As well as attaining Carbon Trust Standard certification and getting smart meters for your energy supplies in order to maximise your early action score, greater energy efficiency is the key to benefitting from inclusion in the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme.

Although investing in on-site renewable energy generation would seem to be an obvious method of lowering carbon emissions, some renewable energy generation will not be exempt (if Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) are issued), and will be included at the grid average emission factor. This is so that the Government does not double up on incentives for renewables which it has under other schemes. However, credit for investing in onsite renewable energy generation will be given alongside - but not as a part of - the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme league tables.

Additionally, emissions from the transport of people and goods are exempt. Both these exemptions mean that the focus for improvements has been strongly narrowed towards energy efficiency projects.

An initial tier of efficiency measures can be based on changing workplace behaviour. Encouraging employees to switch off lights and power down computers when not in use can make some energy savings and, in these times of economic turmoil, staff can more easily appreciate the benefits of helping their company to cut energy costs rather than cut employment costs.

The strongest way to make improvements to energy efficiency is to make investments in low-energy technology upgrades, especially in areas such as heating, refrigeration, motor control and lighting. As well as great financial benefits, businesses installing energy-efficiency products also reap substantial environmental savings and operational rewards.

Further action could be taken by embarking on more capital-intensive projects such as systems integration, green data centres and on-site generation, which generally have smaller additional carbon savings and longer ROI periods. More fundamental changes can be made by redesigning products to have a smaller manufacturing footprint, lowering the intrinsic carbon footprint of their creation.

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