AMS Fulfillment, with the help of GHD Ltd., has completed their inaugural 2022 baseline Scope 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) inventory. This inventory provides AMS with a robust data-focused foundation for managing the company’s Greenhouse Gas emissions. The inventory also helps AMS reduce future emissions with strategies to help the company reach its goal of being net zero by 2050.
Given the increased scrutiny of carbon neutral targets and climate action plans, GHD Ltd. often advises that organizations follow a Greenhouse Gas Management Hierarchy when developing actions and strategies to achieve the carbon neutral goal. The GHG Hierarchy was first published in 2009, with a focus on tackling significant and ‘at-source’ carbon emissions and avoiding jumping straight to a carbon offset solution.
The recommendation is that AMS follow the GHG Management Hierarchy, with AMS adding any future planning GHG emission reduction goals. The desired result is measurable and meaningful reductions in emissions, in absolute terms, before relying on offsets. This approach ensures that organizations are effectively managing and mitigating controlled operations before turning to offsets.
This GHG Mitigation Hierarchy includes (from high to lower priority):
- Energy management. Enhance energy management oversight including monitoring of energy / GHG data collection and calculation.
- Warehouse/Offices audit – electrical/gas.
- Energy efficiency. Identify and implement energy efficiency and conservation measures to avoid and reduce energy demand through a portfolio of short-, mid-, and long-term opportunities.
- Emission reduction. Look at opportunities such as asset electrification to further decarbonize.
- Once feasible energy conservation measures have been exhausted or are otherwise constrained by technology viability or financial or market availability, look to deploy renewable energy supplies either through self-generation (e.g., on-site solar) or purchased through market mechanisms with the appropriate environmental attributes (e.g., Renewable Energy Certificates, Guarantees of Origin).
- Use carbon offsets to offset residual emissions to achieve net zero status.
As a B Corporation, AMS is unique among fulfillment services, strongly committed to energy conservation. Many changes have already taken place in the AMS warehouses and offices with regard to lighting and heat, electrification of equipment and extensive recycling. Efforts are ongoing to monitor energy usage. AMS Fulfillment is following the GHG Management Hierarchy with the goal of meaningful reductions on the way to zero emissions.
