Case Study C: Cone Inc.: Using Paper Use Reduction to Communicate its Climate Change Commitment to Employees

Cone Inc., a strategic marketing and communications agency that helps its clients with corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and communications, decided to develop a GHG inventory to demonstrate to its stakeholders its environmental commitment. Cone specifically included paper in its inventory in order to make its employees aware of its climate strategy.

Most of Cone’s 65 staff members were not aware of the company’s new climate change initiative or of even the issue in general. They were, however, very aware of the large amount of paper consumed by the business, and several staff members believed that it was excessive. Cone’s inventory planners thus decided to include paper not only to account for its effect on the climate but to also connect its employees’ awareness of this effect with Cone’s climate strategies. By measuring its scope 3 paper emissions and reducing its use of paper, Cone now is able to give its employees information about the company’s effects and actions as well as tangible results. Whereas Cone’s staff do not always see the benefits of other, less visible GHG reduction measures, the effect of reducing the use of paper is evident.