eco!zero – CLIMATE-NEUTRAL CLEANING

Everybody wants it. So we are doing it!

We can do anything – except make products without generating emissions. But we can completely offset the effects of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO₂) we emit, thereby neutralising its effect on the environment. Now even during cleaning.

Climate-Neutral Cleaning – how does it work?

One of the good things about CO₂ is that it is a natural substance which can be absorbed in a natural way. The absorption of carbon is a process which has been occurring continuously in nature for billions of years. Burning fossil fuels such as crude oil, natural gas and coal releases the carbon contained within them, just as burning renewable resources does. It is therefore necessary to reduce the creation of CO₂ and simultaneously to increase its uptake into biomass in the long term.

Everybody wins.

The Climate-Neutral Cleaning program takes our global commitment to the environment and climate protection to the next level. We will not make a profit from this, but instead are making our contribution to offsetting CO₂ emissions resulting from production. And you can play your part too. For a small premium, you can offset the CO₂ emissions of your Kärcher machine, making it climate- neutral – and not just initially, but for the entirety of the CO₂ emissions created during its service life. All of these contributions, both yours and ours, finance a certified climate protection project from ClimatePartner.

For Climate-Neutral Cleaning in just three steps:

Step 1: Kärcher calculates the CO₂ emissions – the carbon footprint, as it is called – created during the machine’s service life.

Step 2: ClimatePartner calculates this carbon footprint per machine per year. Kärcher offsets the total quantity of CO₂ emissions per year by supporting internationally recognised climate protection projects.

Step 3: You finally receive a certificate and label with ID number for each machine as proof of its carbon neutrality. By entering the ID number, you and your customers can see your contribution to climate protection online at any time.

We achieve far more than just climate protection

Start Climate-Neutral Cleaning with us now by supporting a water treatment project in Kenya. Water, health, forest and climate. Polluted drinking water poses a serious risk to human health. According to the World Health Organisation, the resulting diarrhoea is the third most common cause of death for children and adults in Kenya. Our project gives access to clean drinking water for inhabitants of rural areas in Western Kenya.

Traditional water treatment using boiling involves burning large quantities of wood. By using modern water filters which require neither electricity nor fuel, the need for firewood is completely removed. Between November 2012 and January 2014, a total of 3,169 water treatment facilities were provided and 4,175 filters replaced. As a result, 3.6 million people in Western Kenya now have access to water treatment systems and use them regularly. And together, we are ensuring that this number increases dramatically.

Aim: 1 million filtration plants for clean drinking water in the whole of Western Kenya

Annual savings of approximately 2.1 million tonnes CO2 equivalent (CO2e)

Reduction in deforestation by reducing the demand for firewood

Additional positive effects of our project:

• Work for thousands of Kenyans while the system is set up.
• Hundreds of sustainable jobs created due to the necessary annual checks, maintenance and training.
• Improvement of air quality in homes.
• Reduction of absence in schools.

Our earth - our climate

There is no doubt that climate change exists. And there is no doubt that it is caused by humans. Scientists from all disciplines agree on this: the climate is changing due to the increased concentration of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

It is not happening in the near future. It is happening right now.

The accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere boosts the greenhouse effect, thereby leading to global warming. The effects of this are visible today all around the globe: melting ice caps, rising sea level and an increase in extreme weather are the most well known phenomena. Further increases in temperature will inevitably lead to more natural catastrophes, poverty, shortages and social crises. Worldwide.

Climate protection knows no borders.

It is not important where we do something to aid climate protection. The important thing is that a project can be measured as an additional climate protection measure in accordance with the Kyoto protocol. In countries such as Germany, there are practically no certified climate protection projects, since many measures are already statefunded and able to go ahead without additional funding.

In developing and emerging countries on the other hand, the targeted transfer of knowledge and technology has numerous additional effects. For example, significantly more CO₂ emissions can be offset in these countries per euro of invested capital compared with industrialised nations. And in terms of the positive effects on the global climate, it is not important where CO₂ emissions are prevented. Each tonne of CO₂ emissions we avoid benefits the climate. Worldwide.

Our partner can contribute to climate protection

Climate protection projects must fulfil internationally recognised criteria and standards in order to be certified. To achieve Climate Neutral Cleaning, we work together with the climate protection experts at ClimatePartner.

ClimatePartner has calculated the CO₂ emissions created during a typical usage phase over the entire life cycle of our complete scrubber drier range. After all, 80 % of the CO₂ emissions created during the life cycle of a cleaning machine can be attributed to the usage phase: due to consumption of energy, water, cleaning agents, consumables, small parts, servicing, etc. Your contribution to our climate protection project depends directly on the selection and number of these machines.

ClimatePartner is one of the leading German-speaking climate protection consultants and provides the necessary TÜV tested IT infrastructure for calculating CO₂ offset. In order to ensure total transparency for you and your customers, the CO₂ offset can be viewed online for all machines using a tracking ID. This means you can always rest assured in the knowledge that your CO₂ emissions are offset immediately.