What is a Carbon Innovation Lab?

A Carbon Innovation Lab is the process of reducing the carbon footprint of a specific product or group of related products.  The process begins by conducting a life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the carbon embodied in the product across the entire life cycle of that product.  This comprehensive analysis is complex and can require an array of tools, models and research to understand the sometimes subtle environmental inputs and impacts.  A LCA encompasses carbon emitted by all phases of the product's manufacture and use, including:  raw material extraction and processing, manufacturing of the product, packaging and distribution to the consumer, use of the product by the consumer and the end-of-life or disposal impacts.  With an understanding of the source of carbon emissions for a given product, it is possible to identfy ways to reduce carbon emissions.  The process of removing the carbon continues by gathering all of the stakeholders to any part of the product's LCA to participate in the innovation lab.  It is important to understand the inter-connected nature of each part of the system.  Because every part of the system has impacts on the system as a whole, it becomes difficult for any one segment to remove carbon from the supply chain independently.  The individuals drawn together to form this group are referred to as a "System in the Room." Working toward a mutual goal, the Appreciative Inquiry approach is used to help the participants focus on the industry's strengths and leverage those strengths to find innovative solutions to carbon reduction and business improvement.  Being able to recognize the relationships between the differing parts and the goals of the individuals present gives those particpating the opportunity create mutually beneficial incentives.  At the conclusion of the lab, the stakeholders have identified and begun designing specific action steps and initiatives that have the potential to reduce embodied carbon in the product or category in question.

What is ASC doing?

• Currently, the ASC is designing a Carbon Innovation Lab for the dairy industry to be held June 17-19, 2008.
• ASC hosted a Magazine Stakeholders Summit in October 2007 to focus on waste reduction and efficiency improvements in the magazine value chain.  Particpants will reconvene in May 2008 to review progress on the initiatives launched as a result of the summit.

Who says that just because a product is better for the environment that it has to be more expensive or less effective?