About

Inoxia is an advertising agency based in Bordeaux. It was established in 1995. We are dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for our clients who are as diverse as regional institutions, local corporations or national brands.

Inoxia is deeply involved in Corporate Social Responsibility. As a member of the CJD Network (Young entrepreneurs), we joined the CSR program “Global Performance” that helps us to focus our management simultaneously on economic performance, social progress and environmental respect. Our environmental commitment goes from eco-conception of marketing and communication products to the contribution of 1% of our sales to environmental groups around the world (we are members of the “1% of the planet” network). Socially, Inoxia’s management takes great care of employees well being
and the promotion of positive equality.

Inoxia believes that creativity can play a significant role in addressing today's crucial world issues. We have been associated to all recent French initiatives aiming to sensitize the advertising community on sustainable development issues. Inoxia is proud to be considered as a leader of “responsible communication” in France.

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Strategy

Inoxia is committed to ensuring that the impact of its carbon footprint, and that of its employees, is as insignificant as possible. As an ad agency working in the service industry, our Greenhouse gas emissions are quite limited but the emissions on the part of the transporters is huge. We have calculated our carbon footprint and decided to offset it in investing in renewable energy projects.

But our final aim is to reduce our impact as little as possible. So we have launched an annual plan to encourage the use of public transportation (we finance 100% of its cost for our employees), the train for professional traveling, the bikes for urban trips (a pool of 2 bicycles is available).

We also reuse and recycle as much as possible, sort our waste and buy only eco-labeled products which have a limited impact on the environment.

Carbon Assessment

Inoxia has completed its Carbon Assessment (Bilan Carbone®)for the period 2006-2007. Carried out in partnership with Goodplanet.org, an NGO chaired by Yann Arthus Bertrand, this step enabled the agency to evaluate greenhouse gas emissions related to the full spectrum of its activities.

Inoxia decided to offset this "carbon footprint" through a voluntary financial contribution to ActionCarbone.org which supports projects dealing with renewable energies, energy efficiency and reforestation in developing countries.

On the basis of this Carbon Assessment®, Inoxia has committed to reducing its emissions by 20% within two years.

Inoxia’s Carbon Assessment ® seeks to undertake a thorough evaluation of its direct emissions and those produced as a result of its activities, in order to develop a greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan.

By choosing to offset its greenhouse gas emissions for 2006-2007 through a voluntary financial contribution to ActionCarbone.org, Inoxia acted in anticipation of what is likely to become a reality in the years to come: carbon tax.

This voluntary financial contribution is by no means our way of avoiding our environmental responsibility by giving ourselves “good conscience” and continuing with “business as usual” Those who know us would vouch that this is not our company’s spirit.

On the contrary, this is the starting point of a publicity campaign targeted at all our employees and various partners to engage them in the efforts against global warming.

Carbon Assessment®, Carbon Offsets, Carbon Neutrality: what does one mean?

Carbon Assessment®: carbon assessment is a method developed by ADEME to calculate a company’s greenhouse gas emissions based on readily available data.

Carbon Offsetting: the idea is to calculate carbon emissions generated by a trip, an event, an activity and, by way of compensation, to finance a project which would reduce an equal volume of CO2.

Carbon Neutrality: the principle of carbon neutrality is based on the findings that a tonne of greenhouse gas emitted into the atmosphere has the same impact on the climate whatever the location of the emitter or the nature of the emissions. Carbon neutrality is achieved once one has offset, or "compensated for", greenhouse gas emissions by financing projects that reduce an equal volume of emissions.

Inoxia chose ActionCarbone.org to carry out its Carbon Assessment®.

The data taken into account for Inoxia’s Carbon Assessment® were as follows:

• Energy consumption in office buildings (our energy procurement is done through Electricité
  de France (EDF)’s “green energy” offer to enterprises);
• Freight-related activity;
• Staff domestic and international travel;
• Commuting to and from work;
• Incoming materials;
• Management of recyclable waste

Certain data were not analyzed either because they were unavailable or regarded as negligible in terms of our activities, e.g. water consumption.

What does the Carbon Assessment® give one?

The outcomes of a Carbon Assessment® are presented in tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2 e). Inoxia’s impact on the climate over the 2006-2007 period totaled 84.04 (tCO2 e).

These 84.04 tonnes of greenhouse gases emitted as a result of Inoxia’s activities are rather low compared to the average emissions of communications agencies of similar size.

The following references give a better idea of what this amount represents:

• a return air ticket Paris-New York: 2 t CO2 e;
• small enterprise in the services sector (1-5 employees): 5.5 to 25 t CO2 e;
• international forum of 2 000 participants: 1,000 t CO2 e; and
• Lafarge Group: 93.5 million t CO2 e (same as Greece!!)

To put this into another perspective, Inoxia’s greenhouse gas emissions per year per employee were 2.4 t CO2 e, compared to the average individual emissions in France of 8.8 CO2 e. Meanwhile, the Earth’s absorptive capacity is 2 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions GES per person per annum. Therefore we must intensify our efforts in the coming years in order to put development on a sustainable path.

What is the cost of carbon offsetting? 

With Action Carbon, the amount of compensation of the 84.04 t CO2 e is €1,260,.60 euros. This sum is invested by Action Carbone in renewable energy projects, energy efficiency and reforestation projects in developing countries that local communities. The list of ongoing projects can be found on the ActionCarbone.org website.

Carbon offsetting can be considered a charitable donation and, for recognized non-profit
entities, 60% of the donation’s amount is tax deductible. This is not beyond reach.

Which actions do we take to reduce our emissions by 20% between now and October
2009?

Which actions do we take for our future?

Inoxia’s emissions profile reveals the following distribution:

58% - transport, including commuting (42%), staff travel (15%) and visitors’ travel
(1%); 2% - energy consumption; 14% - incoming goods and services; 19% - depreciation of equipment; and 7% - other sources

In the light of this analysis, it is clear that the key area for Inoxia’s greenhouse gas emissions reductions is transport and in particular commuting to and from work, which alone accounts for 42% of the total emissions.

Furthermore, although staff travel by plane is limited to 8 return trips from Bordeaux to Paris and 6 return trips Bordeaux-Toulouse, this category also “weight us down”, amounting to one-third of all emissions related to staff travel in one year.

Given that Inoxia’s offices are located in the vicinity of tram lines and the St-Jean Station, the action needed is rather clear and straightforward. Therefore the objective of a 20% emissions cut within two years appears realistic.

Our staff mobility plan

As an enterprise working in the service sector, Inoxia’s environmental management plan largely depends on the attitude of its employees, concerned with the challenge of global warming and in their majority supportive of environmentally-friendly practices at the office. By adding the transport aspect to this plan, Inoxia intends to leverage their support in this new endeavour.

Our action plan focuses on two areas:

1) Reduce the ecological footprint of business-related travel

• Promoting the use of train over air travel for all business-related travel outside
  the region. In the case the plane is the only option, the resulting CO2 emissions
  are obligatorily compensated.
• Encouraging car-pooling for regional travel (alongside a stricter reimbursement
  policy)
• Making available bicycles for free use by staff as well as tram tickets for short
  work-related trips;
• Considering purchasing of an electric motorcycle for office use; and
• Encouraging our partners to consider their own transport emissions (in particular
  messengers and printers)

2) Encourage alternative means of transport for staff commuting to and from the
office apart from car travel

• Subsidizing the full cost of monthly tram pass to encourage staff to choose this
  mode of travel over car use;
• Enabling working from home by promoting Webmail and other new ICT; and
• Office awareness campaigns on ”carbon-friendly” means of transport and eco-mobility

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