15 March 2012: The Latin American Development Bank (CAF) presented the results of its 11-month project to promote and disseminate the Bolivian technical standard on carbon footprints by helping nine companies and three environmental NGO projects calculate and validate emission levels through voluntary application of the standard.

Bolivian Norm NB-ISO 140641 is based on the International Standard Organization’s (ISO) ISO 140641 on principles and requirements for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removal.

The project, implemented by the Bolivian Standards Institute (IBNORCA) in coordination with the consulting firm Environmental Services SA, helped provide the companies and projects with the norm, calculate their carbon footprint, and create plans to neutralize their carbon emissions. Companies participating in the voluntary programme included Banco Bisa, BZ Group, Gravity, Industrias Fino and Saguapac. As part of the project, they received a good practice guide to instituting energy efficiency, optimizing waste management and minimizing fuel consumption.

The three projects participating were the Inti Illimani solar ovens project in the Yungas region, Swisscontact’s energy efficiency project in the brick industry, and Fundación Natura’s forest protection programme in the El Choré Reserve.

CAF expressed the hope that the project has not only given IBNORCA experience in the practical issues involved in applying the norm, but will encourage more companies and projects to voluntarily apply it and as a result take steps to become “carbon neutral” to promote themselves to the domestic and international markets. [CAF Press Release (in Spanish)]