
The Carbon Challenge is aiming to inspire sponsors at land and in the water, says German trade magazine "HORIZONT Sport Business" in its recent newsletter. Horizont says it’s "a platform for climate aware sponsors".

Rückenwind fürs Gewissen
Die Carbon Challengestellt sich nicht nur sportlichen, sondern vor allem ökologisch an-
spruchsvollen Herausforderungen – eine Plattform für klimabewusste Sponsoren
Wer bislang energiesparende Fahrzeuge mit PS-müden Langweilern in Verbindung gebracht hatte, dürfte demnächst eines
Besseren belehrt werden – zumindest, was die Fortbewegung auf dem Wasser anbelangt. Mit „Carbon Challenge“ geht erst-
mals ein Boot bei einem der härtesten Rennen, dem Volvo Ocean Race, an den Start, das sich den Klimaschutz auf die Segel geschrieben hat.
Read full article at sportbusiness.horizont.net
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This week the renowned Swiss news paper "Neue Züricher Zeitung" writes on Carbon Challenge: " Climate protectors aiming to be at the starting line". (…) With ten instead of only four stoppovers the Ocean Race has moved closer to the audience and tv cameras. Not only commercial companies aim to benefit from these promotional opportunities. Expecting to be at the starting line is a syndicate that has been committed to reducing carbon emission. (…)
NZZ: Neue Ziele im Ocean Race
Auch Klimaschützer wollen an den Start
Bei der alle drei Jahre stattfindenden, ursprünglich nach dem britischen Bierbrauer Withbread und seit der Jahrtausendwende nach dem neuen Hauptsponsor Volvo benannten Weltumsegelungs-Regatta geht es längst nicht mehr nur um Sieg oder sportliches Mitmachen. Die Werbebotschaften auf Segeln und Rumpf der leichten, übertackelten und wie Jollen über die Wogen gleitenden 70-Fuss-Jachten lassen sich vor spektakulärerem Hintergrund und auch länger - neun Monate - vermarkten als jene auf den Match-Racern des gemächlichen America’s-Cup- Dreieckkurses. Auch ist das Ocean Race mit der Ausweitung der Etappenzahl (zehn statt der ursprünglichen vier) näher ans Publikum und an die Filmkameras gerückt worden.
Continue reading ‘NZZ: New Goals of the Ocean Race’
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Interview with Frederik Leloup, Director of Carbon Challenge Academy, for the upcoming issue of CEMS’ Alumni Magazine

Frederik, what is your role as the head of the Carbon Challenge Academy?
My role is to assure the implementation of our learning architecture, to constantly monitor and adjust the academy program and to gather experts, academics, business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, coaches able to contribute to our vision of offering best in class training for decision makers in carbon management. This unique combination inside the CCA allows passing from an ambitious inspiring and training program to action and results, as much for the carbon reduction challenge as for the development of business and people. The CCA will demonstrate that the challenge we have to face is a solid opportunity for value creation on the material point of view but also in regards to giving new sense to our professional engagements.
Where do you see CEMS’ particular expertise to support the CCA?
The decision-making is an emotional process based on the conviction that we have (or not). Of course an important rational investment has to be done to prepare this moment. In that perspective the CCA is offering an education to critical minds in carbon management to go out of the common sceptical (or cynical) attitude concerning climate change and its impact on the business sphere, but at the same time to avoid an ideological approach of the question. For me, the business pro has to manage facts and produce results that contribute to the development of the community. In that perspective the widely regarded quality of CEMS academics in business education through the CEMS-MIM program is a very important ingredient to the CCA learning concept to allow the top managers to take things into account.
In which way can experiences from sailing be implemented to the academic world?
Continue reading ‘Frederik Leloup: “Decision-making is an Emotional Process”’
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Found at Scuttlebutt:
"We all have our habits, and changing habits is not easy. Too often, we make our personal changes too late, like improving our diet after a heart attack, or seeing the mistakes made by an ailing friend. Other times, it is the iconic force of something we closely relate to that can make us take the first step. For sailors, that could be the program being devised by the Carbon Challenge’s Race Against Global Warming, and its entry in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09."
Read the full newsletter at Scuttlebutt.
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Carbon Challenge aims for starting line
A syndicate with environmental issues at the heart of their campaign has emerged as a potential eighth entry for the 2008-09 race.
Known as Carbon Challenge, the objective of the campaign is to raise awareness of the harmful effects of global warming as the team travels the globe by significantly reducing their carbon footprint.
(…) Sailing matters will be in the hands of the former Mascalzone Latino America’s Cup project manager Tom Weaver.
“We will have already saved an incredible amount of energy compared to a team that builds a new boat. In theory at least, we don’t have to sacrifice a lot of performance versus the other teams as my research indicates that we can be reasonably competitive, investing our personal energy in making the boat fast. (…)
“Using a pre-campaigned boat, our crew will have a harder job keeping up with the rest of the field. But that is part of the challenge – to outperform expectations by being carbon conscious.”
Read the full story at volvooceanrace.com
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The World Business Council for Sustainable Development released a press statement about its support of the Carbon Challenge Boathouse project.
To view the release "EEB Project Shares Knowledge to Support Carbon Challenge" on their website click here.
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The WBCSD’s Energy Efficiency in Buildings Project is a three year initiative to assess the environmental impacts of buildings and develop means to achieve zero net energy use for residential and commercial buildings.
The study "Business Realities and Opportunities" has been published in August 2007 and highlights opportunities to promote green building know-how and technologies as the WBCSD pushes for zero net energy construction worldwide. Zero net energy buildings will reduce demand by design, be highly efficient and generate at least as much energy as they consume.
Progress can begin immediately because knowledge and technology exist today to slash the energy buildings use, while at the same time improving levels of comfort. Behavioral, organizational and financial barriers stand in the way of immediate action, and three approaches can help overcome them:
Continue reading ‘Energy Efficiency in Buildings: Download study’
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All of us as individuals, households, workers generates a personal footprint. All of us, through our energy usage, mobility, habits and actions create carbon emissions which accelerate the rate of global warming. Discover your carbon footprint and practical ways to reduce it with EarthLab.com’s Carbon and Lifestyle Calculator.
All Carbon Challenge employees use the calculator regularly and their carbon scores are listed in their profiles.
EarthLab.com is one of many new, user-driven channels set up to make an impact in the race against global warming. Informative and easy to use, it has already been used by nearly two million users and is the sole carbon measuring tool recommended by both the Alliance for Climate Protection and Live Earth.
Once you know your carbon balance, investigate the many pledges you can make to improve your carbon performance.
But remember that in addition to modifying our own behaviour, each of us has the power to influence the adoption of new technologies and new practices which help the world to tackle the threat of climate change.
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The European Business Summit has become Europe’s number one dialogue between business leaders and policy makers. With the theme Greening the Economy: new Energy for Business, the EBS wants to focus on how Europe can turn the “carbon challenge” into a business opportunity, giving new energy to growth and jobs. At the 6th EBS in 2008, business and political leaders, NGOs, media and academics from numerous countries are sharing visions and solutions in the area of climate change, energy and (eco-) innovation.
On the occasion of the EBS in Brussels on Feb 21-22 there will be a special presentation by Carbon Challenge for the media by
Olivier Lefebvre, Supervisory Board Chairman, Carbon Challenge Holding AG
Frederik Leloup, CEO Carbon Challenge Academy
Uwe Sasse, Member of the Supervisory Board, Carbon Challenge Holding AG
Feb 22, 2008, 11.30 am
Conference Room next to Press Room
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The Code of Coolness is a Carbon Challenge model for updating thinking, personal lifestyles, business models and policies to align with the urgent need to reduce the rate of global warming. The Code of Coolness is also a statement of Carbon Challenge’s commitments in respect of carbon management and the practices and policies it employs to achieve these commitments.
Mobility, energy use, boat management, infrastructure, management and supply chain are the primary areas for which CO2 reduction measures need to be implemented to ensure emission reduction targets can be reached as quickly as possible.
Carbon Challenge makes use of the most up-to-date assessment systems and works with experts from PricewaterhouseCoopers on their on-going development. Carbon Challenge’s emission values are continually independently surveyed and annual carbon balance will be posted on the group’s website. Carbon Challenge offers its assistance to partners wanting to develop their own Code of Coolness tool.
Download the Code of Coolness here.
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From the Sailing Team’s Logbook:
There’s been an impressive response to Carbon Challenge on our first day after launching the site. Thanks for all the mails of support.
We have confirmation that we have an exclusive option to buy the boat that finished second in the last Volvo Ocean Race – famously known as Pirates of the Caribbean.
It’s a cool idea for Carbon Challenge to get on board a pre-campaigned boat. On day 1, we will have already saved an incredible amount of energy compared to a team that builds a new boat Plus, in theory at least, we don’t have to sacrifice a lot of performance versus the other teams as my research indicates that we can be reasonably competitive, investing our personal energy in making the boat fast. More on that later…
In the short term we need to inspect the boat and determine a timetable for a re-fit with design engineers and boatbuilders, we will then look at a new complete sail inventory, I have an outlet to recycle the old ones! Then when we push the button we can get the sailing team on the water early so by race time they will be up for the challenge.
In the meantime we put some pictures up of her on the site for visitors to enjoy.
Tom Weaver, Carbon Challenge Campaign Director
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