Cerberus Networks

Climate Change or Climate Emergency?

Sweltering temperatures, more powerful storms, unprecedented flooding, widespread wildfires and water shortages across the country are all serious warning signs of a warming climate that is affecting the UK and the rest of the world. We are now seeing the impact of climate change on a monthly or even weekly basis.


 
In October 2018, the UN IPCC published its Emissions Gap Report. This stated that for the planet to avoid catastrophic climate change that will result from an increase in global average temperatures of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, then we have to cut total carbon emissions by half by 2030.
 
This is a huge undertaking and will require transformational change across all aspects of the economy. However, this is not yet happening nearly fast enough to hit IPCC targets, either in the UK or globally. Cerberus believes that while governments waste precious time, it is up to both businesses and individuals to reduce their emissions without delay.

What does Broadband have to do with Climate Change?

Unfortunately, while electricity grids still rely to a substantial extent on fossil fuel power, there is a limit to how much we can reduce the emissions due to electricity usage. There are also other emissions that are hard to avoid such as those from transportation. Therefore, Cerberus Networks works with ClimateCare to offset the carbon emissions of our activities that we cannot yet eliminate.

Even with Cerberus offsetting the carbon emissions of our network and operations, there are emissions associated with the use of the Internet that are incurred outside of our network. We are now offering customers the opportunity to offset the emissions directly caused by their Internet usage. This is what we call Net Zero Broadband. 
 
Internet traffic uses electrical power by using network and computing equipment around the world. The traffic creates a demand for Internet capacity (i.e. the fixed installation of equipment) and also uses power when information is transmitted around the world using electrical or optical signals across wires and fibre optic cables.
 
By assessing the amount of carbon emitted by Internet usage on a monthly basis, we can offset that amount of carbon on your behalf.

What is Carbon Offsetting?

Put simply, offsetting means buying carbon credits equivalent to your carbon impact. This means you compensate for every tonne of CO2 you emit by ensuring there is one tonne less in the atmosphere through the action of the projects that you fund. Because one unit of CO2 has the same climate impact wherever it is emitted, the benefit is the same wherever it is reduced or avoided too.

Cerberus enables you to offset the carbon emissions associated with our whole range of broadband services, from ADSL to FTTP. In fact, if you choose our Climate Positive or Climate Champion offset plans, Cerberus will match your investment in Carbon Offsets.

Cerberus has chosen to work with ClimateCare who are experts in this field, with over 20 years’ experience running some of the most innovative and largest carbon offset programmes in the world. Working with them has helped us understand how we can integrate action to tackle climate change and improve people’s lives.

Cutting Emissions with renewable energy in India

Over the next quarter of a century, India is set to make the largest contribution of any country to increased global energy demand. A growing middle class, 600 million new electricity consumers, 315 million more people living in cities, and a rapidly expanding manufacturing sector, mean India’s energy infrastructure will require $140 billion of investment every year until 2040.

Providing rural communities with clean energy, this wind farm in India generates renewable electricity which feeds into the grid, displacing fossil fuel energy and improving connections for rural communities.

Gyapa Stoves - Improving lives in Ghana

This project is creating a market for locally produced efficient cookstoves which cut emissions, reduce exposure to toxic fumes and decrease fuel bills. The project provides skilled employment for 350 manufacturers and extra income for over 500 retailers. As well as cutting more than 2 million tonnes of CO2, this project has saved 4.1 million people more than $75million on their fuel bills so far. 

Mr Ebrahim ‘Lucky’ Dowda is a Gyapa Distributor.
“Every month I sell about 2500-2700 liners. Which means we manufacture about 2700 stoves in a month. Our children are now in university through this work.”

ClimateCare’s Head of Partnerships explains “We are delighted to be working with Cerberus Networks to deliver innovative projects at an unprecedented scale. Our Climate+Care model helps organisations take a smart approach to addressing their environmental impacts by offsetting their carbon emissions and supporting sustainable development”.