Mitsubishi Electric has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard for its efforts in measuring, managing and reducing carbon emissions at its Hatfield headquarters.

The company has achieved a 42% reduction in emissions in three years, relative to the number of full time employees, and has been awarded the Standard as an independent mark of excellence that recognises measurable reductions in carbon emissions for UK companies.

Mitsubishi Electric has occupied the Hatfield building since the late 1980’s and the steel-framed, glass-fronted, three-storey office block is typical of the era. The company has been looking for ways to improve its energy efficiency, not only to reduce energy consumption and its carbon footprint, but also to use it as a clear example to others.

In order to achieve the standard, Mitsubishi Electric had to show improvement year on year and detail the energy used and business car usage and mileage over a three-year period.

Sustainable solutions manager, Martin Fahey, said:

“We wanted to show what can be achieved in the normal course of running a business and one of the most important factors is ensuring that you involve staff.

“We hold regular events where we challenge staff to question their own impact on the business and also seek ideas and help from them.”

Martin has described the approach as evolutionary rather than revolutionary and this is the approach that Mitsubishi Electric has taken towards the building services in the Hatfield headquarters, where the major reductions in energy use have been achieved.

He added:

“Like any business, we have had to justify any expenditure and what we have done is look at every opportunity to increase the efficiency of each element when a piece of equipment has reached the end of its useful working life and needs replacing,”

“This has allowed us to demonstrate that the technology already exists that can make a difference to almost any property out there.

“Achieving this recognition from the Carbon Trust vindicates that approach and should highlight just how achievable it is for any individual business or home.”