Hedcor Inc. takes carbon emission reduction a step forward

Friday, January 20, 2012

MOTHER Earth may soon see a much-awaited ally in technology as awareness on climate change is prompting companies to mitigate everyday business processes to be more environment-friendly increases with each passing day.

Hedcor Inc., a hydropower company based in Benguet, took on the challenge to regulate its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from airplane and vehicle travels among its employees by setting up its own video conferencing system. With offices in Benguet, Davao, and Manila, traveling from one to another is a requirement in meeting the company’s day-to-day operations.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

The video conferencing system allows virtual meetings to be set up from two or more separate locations simultaneously. An average four-hour video conference emits only 0.0044 tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from the electricity consumed. By using the video conferencing system for the year of 2011, the company was able to prevent the release of over 58 tons of C02 from being emitted into the atmosphere.

Apart from reducing GHG emissions, the system saves the company huge expenses on plane and land trips. With barely over a year since its operation, the system, which cost around P900,000, already saved the company over P2 million in traveling expenses from airline tickets and fuel.

GHG emission and Carbon footprint monitoring became an international trend partly through the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. The protocol is an international agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in which countries commit to lower their carbon emissions by setting carbon emission reduction targets.

The Kyoto Protocol is not new to Hedcor, Inc. as its Sibulan Hydropower Plant became the first hydropower plant to be registered as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project in the Philippines. As a CDM, the project is entitled to sell certified emission reduction units in the carbon market.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of AboitizPower, Hedcor is the largest developer of run-of-river hydropower plants in the country. The operation of its 18 hydropower plants in Benguet, Davao and Ilocos Sur prevented the emission of over 1.8 million tons of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere.