We continue to be a certified, climate-neutral company for the second year in a row, having recently received official certification for the business year 2021. Together with First Climate, who accompanied us to initially calculate GOPA’s 2020 Corporate Climate Footprint, a total of 680 t CO2 were balanced and compensated for the year 2021. View the Certificate FC-Reg-Cert-705345 here.

All emissions stemming from our headquarters activities, such as business travel (ca. 242 t), employee commuting (ca. 73 t), home office (ca. 212 t), and energy consumption, including cooling, upstream value chain (ca. 200 t), were calculated and compensated for in 2021. 

For offsetting, we continued with the same climate-protection projects as originally selected for 2020, which relate to our technical work and our presence on the ground (Project standard: Verified Carbon Standard/VCS & Climate, Community & Biodiversity/CCBS).

On Borneo (Indonesia), the supported climate protection project prevents deforestation in Rimba Raya Reserve. The reserve covers nearly 64,000 hectares and is dedicated to the protection and preservation of many endangered species, most notably, the endangered Bornean Orangutan whose population has declined over 95% in the last century.

In the department of Izabal, Guatemala, the Conservation Coast Project aims to protect the forest while supporting the 111 identified local communities in the area, 69 of which are ethnic Maya-q‘eqchi‘ and are considerably disadvantaged due to their limited knowledge of Spanish. The project supports the development of alternative forms of income that are more sustainable. It is estimated that 3,250 families will benefit from the project.

The challenge remains to further avoid and reduce emissions wherever possible, especially now in post-pandemic times, in order to attain the goal of further reducing our corporate carbon footprint. GOPA is working on it!