At Astigarraga Kit Line we have taken an important step towards a more sustainable future by obtaining the carbon footprint certification from Tecnalia Certificación. “As part of our commitment to environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility, this distinction represents an achievement for our company as it helps us to understand our impact on the environment, firstly by being aware of our carbon footprint value and then by considering how we can maintain it, improve it or reduce it”, explains Miren Albarrán, industrial manager at Astigarraga Kit Line.
What is the carbon footprint?
The carbon footprint of any organisation is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted directly or indirectly through its activities.
The Basque Government’s industrial entity, Hazi, whose function is to coordinate and catalyse strategic projects to boost the competitiveness and sustainability of the food and forestry value chain, is in charge of collecting all the information needed to calculate the carbon footprint. “We needed to provide Hazi with information and documentation of all the emissions generated through all the company’s processes. In our case, this was done for the first and second timber transformation processes,” says Miren Albarrán.
While the technicians at Hazi performed the carbon footprint calculation and prepared the greenhouse gas report, Tecnalia Certificación issued the corresponding certificate . “An external audit was carried out by Tecnalia to verify that everything provided and calculated was done in accordance with the requirements of the standard, and that it was all accurate, complete, consistent, transparent and free of errors or omissions”, adds the industrial manager at Astigarraga Kit Line.
The data collection sheet was divided into four sections:
- General company data: provides the GHG emissions data for each indicator.
- Scope 1. It is a requirement to account for ALL direct GHG emissions and removals within the boundaries of the organisation that are owned or controlled by the organisation.
- Scope 2. It is a requirement to account for ALL indirect GHG emissions from energy.
- Scope 3. The inclusion of other indirect GHG emissions is optional and is the main focus of the establishment of operational limits (set by the company).
Sustainability is a duty
Astigarraga Kit Line had to quantify and report all significant emissions. “Obtaining the carbon footprint certificate is a complicated and interesting process, because you have to fully understand all the company’s processes and collect all kinds of information. For example, the quantities of materials purchased, from which suppliers they were purchased, how far away said suppliers are, what invoices they issue, information on everything you buy, everything you sell and everything you consume, the distances workers travel to come to work or to visit clients, by what means of transport…”, continues Miren Albarrán, who says that it has been a “challenge”, as it was the first time they completed this process.
At Astigarraga Kit Line, we firmly believe that sustainability is not only an objective, but a duty. From the outset, the priority has been to develop products that are not only aesthetically appealing and functional, but also environmentally friendly. This is why the company is PEFC certified and has been awarded the European Union’s Ecolabel.
Increased credibility
Miren Albarrán affirms that obtaining this certification is “the result of a collaborative and continuous effort throughout our supply chain. Staff from all departments have been involved: purchasing, sales, administration, etc.”. “This carbon footprint certification gives our products a higher degree of credibility, as they are validated by an official body. We will continue to take proactive measures to mitigate our environmental impact”, adds the industrial manager at Astigarraga Kit Line.
This certificate validates our efforts and drives us forward on our sustainability journey by implementing innovative practices and technology to minimise our environmental impact. We are proud to share this distinction with all our distributors and customers and look forward to moving forward together towards a more sustainable future for all.
