Office service provider Graphax now officially certified as climate-neutral

Graphax AG, headquartered in Dietikon near Zurich and with eight branches in German- and French-speaking Switzerland, employs around 190 people. Thanks to its broad range of services, the company is one of Switzerland's leading providers of innovative technologies in the areas of information management, printer park management and complete solutions for digital and paper-based document workflow in the B2B environment. In addition to the continuous further development of state-of-the-art office solutions and the implementation of numerous complex process automations for various customers, Graphax AG has always been aware of the responsibility that companies in general have for the sustainable treatment of nature, according to the statement. For this reason, the company has calculated its own carbon footprint. The so-called Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) was determined together with ClimatePartner, a leading solution provider in climate protection for companies.

What exactly is the CCF?

The CCF is the sum of the CO2 emissions caused by the company within the defined system boundaries in a specified period. The calculation was based on the guidelines of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (GHG Protocol). The CO2 footprint calculated in this way includes direct emissions caused within the company (electricity and heat generation, vehicle fleet, fugitive gases) and indirect emissions caused by purchased energy, business travel, and employee commuting. The calculation does not include other indirect emissions that occur outside the company during the production of raw materials and intermediate products, external logistics, and the use and disposal of products or other processes.

Constant control is important

In subsequent years, the report can be used to check whether the targets set have been achieved, in which areas progress has been made, and where emissions should be reduced even more. After all, only those who know the exact figures can make an effective contribution. For example, in 2021, business activities caused emissions of 1,820.1 t CO2. To put this in perspective: The emissions correspond to the CO2 footprint of 300 Swiss people. One person in Switzerland causes an average of 6.06 t CO2 per year. In addition to the head office in Dietikon, the branches in Lausanne, Satigny, Martigny, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Lucerne, Gossau, Muttenz, Ostermundigen and the warehouse in Pratteln were also included in the calculation.

Graphax has been climate-neutral since 2023

Being a climate-neutral company means that you have recorded your own greenhouse gas emissions, are continuously reducing them, and have offset the remaining emissions through climate protection projects. This is confirmed by the "climate neutral" label from ClimatePartner. It is
independently and the IT system for CO2 offsetting has been audited by TÜV Austria. As mentioned above, climate neutrality does not include other indirect emissions. CO2 offsetting is carried out entirely via a climate protection project that is certified according to international standards. For each ton of CO2 compensated there, a subsidy amount flows to a mountain forest project to help finance the weeks of operation in Switzerland. In this context, Graphax is making a very concrete commitment to the protection of international and Swiss forest areas. As the Swiss general distributor of Konica Minolta and the distributor of devices in the office sector such as copiers and printers, but also the high-performance printing systems in the commercial printing sector, the company is aware of the resulting paper consumption and would like to make a corresponding industry-related contribution to climate protection. Even more detailed measures can be viewed under the ClimatePartner ID tracking at climatepartner.com/19239-2212-1001.

What are the next steps?

In collaboration with ClimatePartner, Graphax is continuously working on CO2 reduction targets. The largest share of CO2 is actually caused by the company's own vehicle fleet, a well-known phenomenon among companies with a similar decentralized service structure throughout Switzerland. The management is currently thinking about restructuring the vehicle fleet. An internal survey to the workforce has already been conducted to elicit the employees' eventual readiness for electric mobility. The extensive supply chain management will be analyzed in the coming months with regard to possible CO2 optimization. In addition, the procurement of international green power certificates is currently being intensively discussed.

The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is responsible for global warming. It is therefore necessary to reduce emissions as much as possible. For this to succeed, it makes sense to define clear and measurable reduction targets - as well as corresponding measures and responsibilities. ClimatePartner recommends distinguishing between short-, medium- and long-term reduction targets. Some measures can be implemented quickly, while others take time, for example because processes and products need to be rethought or the supply chain needs to be involved. Reduction must therefore be a continuous process and as such part of the corporate strategy.

Source and further information: Graphax AG