Austin’s
influential South by Southwest Music, Film & Interactive Conferences (SXSW)
will partner with Green Mountain Energy Company to offset 100% of carbon
emissions arising from SXSW business activities. After partnering with the
fellow Austin-based company, SXSW will be a carbon neutral company that intends
to reduce carbon emissions where it can and purchase carbon offsets where it
cannot. SXSW has offset 100% of 250 metric tons of carbon emissions by
purchasing 376MW of Texas
wind energy carbon credits from Green Mountain Energy Company. In addition, the
company has given a $5000 donation to the Austin Parks Department for the
purchase and maintenance of native trees.
“Once we set the goal for SXSW to achieve carbon neutral
status, our staff took a very active hand in gathering all the pertinent
information about our activities which generate carbon emissions,” says
Managing Director Roland Swenson. “An important lesson we learned was that any
business can achieve this goal with some work and a willingness to invest in
new activity. While the amount of carbon emissions generated by SXSW alone is
relatively small, if every business took similar steps, it would make a
profound difference to our planet’s future.”
“SXSW recognizes that
environmental issues are now an important measuring stick that distinguish one
event from another and one company from another,” noted Una Johnston, SXSW’s UK & Ireland Manager and now its
Environmental Consultant. She used the standards, guidelines and tools
contained in the World Resources Institute’s GHG Protocol to calculate the
carbon emissions for the year September 1, 2005 to August 31, 2006. SXSW agreed
that this 12-month period would be designated as the baseline year in order to
use it as the benchmark against which future reductions in carbon emissions can
be measured.
Johnston calculated that SXSW
carbon emissions arise from gas and electricity usage in its offices (18%),
from electricity usage in the Austin
Convention Center and all
the showcase, movie and party venues that it contracts with during SXSW each
year (55%), and also from business travel (27%).
“It’s important to say that SXSW is not simply offsetting
its carbon emissions,” explained Johnston, “we are preparing an emission
reduction strategy for the next four years as part of an environmental policy
initiative. Roland and Eve have already taken steps to reduce our footprint by
replacing the inefficient heating and cooling system in the office and adding insulation
to the building. When SXSW takes place in March, the Festival will be working
with Ecology Action of Austin to recycle all waste from our outdoor parties and
events and will use biodiesel in generators and production trucks."
South by Southwest will take place at venues throughout Austin from March 9-18.
While the conference’s official lineup has not been announced, a number of
artists, ranging from Talking Heads founder David Byrne to rising rock outfit
Steel Train have confirmed spots during the multi-day conference.
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