Natura joins UNEP's climate neutral project

The Climate Neutral Network project (CNN), launched yesterday in Monaco, is an online network to help countries, cities and firms exchange ideas on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The aim is a truly global information exchange network open to all sectors of society, from presidents to people from Sao Paulo, said the UNEP. Natura will reduce not offset ​ Natura is one of the first five companies to sign up to the network and has identified potential emissions savings of 33 per cent from its supply chain. The company claims that it will not just be offsetting its carbon emissions. Instead it aims to assume responsibility for all of the emissions caused by its operations and to neutralise the greenhouse emissions generated throughout its supply chain. Any emissions that cannot be neutralised will be offset by supporting external projects that have socio and environmental benefit, stated the company. "To Natura, initiatives like the CNN are essential to stimulate the exchange of ideas…Participation in this network is very important for Natura to share experiences on its Carbon Neutral Program and to exchange best practices on environmental issues,"​ said Natura vice president for innovation, Eduardo Luppi. Other companies that have signed up to the network include the UK Co-Operative Financial Services, the Singaporean power company Senoko, and the South African bank Nedbank. Information exchange and networking ​ The website will allow members to exchange information on how best to move towards a low and eventually carbon neutral society, claim the CNN. Executive Director of the UNEP Achim Steiner called the project "an initiative that will assist in catalysing a global response to the most pressing challenge of our time: namely global warming". ​ The global network is inclusive - membership is open to companies and corporations as well as cities and countries. At the project's launch yesterday members included four countries - Costa Rica, Iceland, Norway and New Zealand, four cities - Arendal in Norway, Rizhao in China, Vancouver in Canada and Vaxjö in Sweden, and five corporations including Natura. The countries and cities represent a diverse range of challenges that will hopefully inspire and help future members in their fight to reduce greenhouse emissions, according to the CNN. "For Norway it is emissions from oil and gas that dominate whereas for New Zealand, agriculture represents 50 per cent of its current greenhouse gases,"​ said Steiner.