The Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT) has achieved CAFA (Climate Action for Associations) Certified Carbon Neutral Association status. The group said this accreditation was secured by measuring, reporting, and offsetting its carbon footprint from January 2023 to December 2023, and putting in place credible, science-aligned plans to further measure and reduce its emissions.
CAFA is a not-for-profit organisation set up to help membership organisations implement climate action and sustainability programmes internally and deliver climate action and sustainability support to its members.
With the support of CAFA, the AEMT has formed a Net Zero working group to develop and steer the association’s strategic approach to emissions reduction across its membership and the customers they serve. Through work including employee and supplier surveys to understand scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, the development of online training options to reduce emissions, and condensing face-to-face training programmes to reduce the impact of travel requirements, the association has already made significant reductions to its carbon footprint and has embedded practices which will see these grow in the future.
The emissions which have not yet been removed have been offset using programmes certified to the highest standards, including the Verra – Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and the Gold Standard – Voluntary Emission Reductions (VER). And to allow for any possible variance, the association has offset double its calculated carbon emissions.
Commenting on the achievement, Thomas Marks, the AEMT’s General Manager and Secretary, said: “The whole AEMT team is proud to have been awarded Certified Carbon Neutral Association status. The electromechanical equipment repair and maintenance sector that we represent is very much part of the circular economy and has a pivotal role to play in the global reduction of carbon emissions. I see our role, as the body representing that sector, as one of leadership and enablement.
“We need to encourage and support our members to navigate their journey towards carbon neutrality and to help them support their customers in identifying opportunities for their own carbon emissions reductions. To support this, we aim to develop ambassadors within our membership to engage with and guide other members on the topic, and to produce tools all our members can use to demonstrate the potential for emissions savings among their customer base.”
Work has already begun to further the work the AEMT has done to date to reduce its own emissions, and there is much more to come, as Thomas added: “I see this as very much the beginning of the journey. There is clearly more we can do as an organisation around our own emissions. But the potential among our membership and the businesses they work with is huge, and the impact I know our sector can have is truly exciting.”
