Climate change and sustainability of oil palm: due diligence of measuring direct and indirect emissions in carbon footprint

Chan Kook Weng, . and Ahmad Kushairi Din, . and Mohd Basri Wahid, . (2009) Climate change and sustainability of oil palm: due diligence of measuring direct and indirect emissions in carbon footprint. [Proceedings Paper]

Climate change is increasingly recognised as a major challenge. It is widely accepted that the palm oil business in providing a steady supply of palm oil as food other products and services to benefit consumers and society must invariably examine its activities under a life cycle analysis approach to see whether the CO‚‚ emissions from its activities could lead to climate change. For this the total set of greenhouse gases GHG emitted directly and indirectly by activities of individual organisation event product and service commonly called carbon footprint CFP requires crucial understanding and addressing of the full range of the impact of CFP if climate change to be minimised. The CFP measure is resetting the boundaries of sustainability of the 3Ps consideration of planet environmental issues people social justice and profitability economics and will augur well for the development of the business in the future. The paper offers a unique opportunity for business leaders to respond to the challenge to measure report and verify CFP. Establishing the organisation;s CFP is the first step in any programme to reduce the GHG emissions. The GHG sustainability is more than just a goal -it is a process to safeguard any enterprise in creating value for shareholders to be able to demonstrate greater social responsibility and environmental benefit to the community by reducing GHG emissions. The CFP shows that shareholders; interests and social responsibility need not to be at odds but rather in concert to encourage green initiatives as dictated by the market. Rising energy costs require consumers to take a closer look at food miles of products and services not just for economic but for moral reasons. Inclusion of GHG sustainability as the new driving force for adopters of CFP is to measure report and verify their carbon emissions over their whole supply chain. Data on emissions of GHGs like CO‚‚ N‚‚O and CH4 need to be collected from three scopes of firstly the direct emissions including energy generation waste water treatment travel in vehicles owned by the company and organisation fugitive GHG emissions and land fill gas; secondly the indirect emissions from purchased electricity and steam; and thirdly the direct GHG emissions non-company vehicles or other employee travel waste disposal outsourced activities product use and purchased materials. The business case to make GHG sustainability as the right� thing to do is the way forward to operate business in the future. By creating long-lasting value for the social community stakeholders and the shareholders it is hoped that this environmental thinking and management of CFP will reverberate through the industry to make the palm oil business a good and sustainable model.

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Abstract

Climate change is increasingly recognised as a major challenge. It is widely accepted that the palm oil business in providing a steady supply of palm oil as food other products and services to benefit consumers and society must invariably examine its activities under a life cycle analysis approach to see whether the CO‚‚ emissions from its activities could lead to climate change. For this the total set of greenhouse gases GHG emitted directly and indirectly by activities of individual organisation event product and service commonly called carbon footprint CFP requires crucial understanding and addressing of the full range of the impact of CFP if climate change to be minimised. The CFP measure is resetting the boundaries of sustainability of the 3Ps consideration of planet environmental issues people social justice and profitability economics and will augur well for the development of the business in the future. The paper offers a unique opportunity for business leaders to respond to the challenge to measure report and verify CFP. Establishing the organisation;s CFP is the first step in any programme to reduce the GHG emissions. The GHG sustainability is more than just a goal -it is a process to safeguard any enterprise in creating value for shareholders to be able to demonstrate greater social responsibility and environmental benefit to the community by reducing GHG emissions. The CFP shows that shareholders; interests and social responsibility need not to be at odds but rather in concert to encourage green initiatives as dictated by the market. Rising energy costs require consumers to take a closer look at food miles of products and services not just for economic but for moral reasons. Inclusion of GHG sustainability as the new driving force for adopters of CFP is to measure report and verify their carbon emissions over their whole supply chain. Data on emissions of GHGs like CO‚‚ N‚‚O and CH4 need to be collected from three scopes of firstly the direct emissions including energy generation waste water treatment travel in vehicles owned by the company and organisation fugitive GHG emissions and land fill gas; secondly the indirect emissions from purchased electricity and steam; and thirdly the direct GHG emissions non-company vehicles or other employee travel waste disposal outsourced activities product use and purchased materials. The business case to make GHG sustainability as the right� thing to do is the way forward to operate business in the future. By creating long-lasting value for the social community stakeholders and the shareholders it is hoped that this environmental thinking and management of CFP will reverberate through the industry to make the palm oil business a good and sustainable model.

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Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	Available at Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang Selangor Malaysia. TP 684 P3 161 2009 vol. 2 Call Number.
AGROVOC Term:	Climate change
AGROVOC Term:	Elaeis guineensis
AGROVOC Term:	Oil palms
AGROVOC Term:	Climate
AGROVOC Term:	Gases
AGROVOC Term:	Greenhouse gases
AGROVOC Term:	emission
AGROVOC Term:	Carbon
AGROVOC Term:	Carbon dioxide
AGROVOC Term:	Life cycle
Geographical Term:	MALAYSIA
Depositing User:	Ms. Suzila Mohamad Kasim
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:15
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/12548

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