Calculating our future

During the time of woodblock printing, CO2 emissions were not an issue

The climate debate has become a major talking point in all levels of society in recent years.

"So we can expect an increase in demand for environmentally friendly products in our industry," says Yvonne Frenz, speaker of the German Association of Print and Media (bvdm) at a drupa press conference in which representatives of Heidelberg and manroland took part.
Frenz said: "In the future many a print order will be subject to the condition of carbon accreditation and whether this can be compensated." So the bvdm has started a climate initiative based on three principles: Determine CO2, avoid CO2, compensate CO2. In order to support businesses in this regard, the association is making a web-based CO2 calculator available that is intended for use without prior detailed knowledge in the field.

One test user was Druckerei Engelhardt & Bauer in Karlsruhe. Company spokeswoman Miriam Heigle said: "We have tested the CO2 calculator with real orders and were surprise how self explanatory its use was. Even the flexibility is excellent; we could deposit countless parameters with individual company values."