01/12-10   -   Press releases

Graphic production at the COP16 conference

The Climate Conference COP16 is taking place in Cancun, Mexico, from 29th November until 10th December, and focuses on the prevention of global warming.

WebProof is taking part indirectly through Phoenix Design Aid, a graphic supplier to both the EU and the UN, which is participating throughout the week at COP16. A video, which will be running throughout the conference, features WebProof in a spot for companies that make a particular effort against CO₂ emissions.

For several years, WebProof has actively supported efforts to combat CO₂ emissions. As an example, WebProof plants one tree per customer per month, and to date has already planted 5 km of trees. After just 10 years, and on behalf of 1,000 customers, WebProof will have planted 300km of trees (120,000 trees). This is based on WebProofʼs users, including LEGO, Bang & Olufsen, Berlingske Media and a large number of agencies – a total of more than 50,000 users in all.

Trees have the property that they absorb CO₂, and a rule of thumb says that a single tree absorbs 1,000kg of CO₂ in its lifetime. For 120,000 trees, WebProof and its customers will have helped the world to reduce CO₂ emissions by 120,000 tons – just by planting those trees!

With WebProof, users approve documents online without printing. Since three people are involved in a typical approval workflow, and WebProof approves 4 million pages per year, WebProof saves 1,500 trees and reduces CO₂* by 300,000kg – which would otherwise be used for printing 12 million pages – each year.

A calculation of resource consumption for a proof print includes:
• Electricity and water for producing paper
• Electricity for the production of printer and toner
• Electricity and toner for use in the printer
• Transportation of paper from factory to customer
• Shipment by mail
• Transportation of the printed paper for recycling
• Combustion of paper.

Reducing CO₂: Using WebProof online proofing shortens the overall process by 25–50% and reduces the number of corrections that are needed, which means lower power consumption for everyone involved.

Further reductions: Because the online reviewing process is centralized and hosted by WebProof, there will be no CO₂ emissions, as WebProof only uses power from windmills and other renewable energy sources, both at its company offices and in the hosting centerʼs server park. In recognition of this, WebProof has received an environmental certificate from the WWF (World Wildlife Fund). In addition, WebProof has now reached 10 million page-flips per month (i.e. where internet users flip through brochures, catalogs, newspapers etc.).

“We shall constantly strive to think of things we can do, no matter how small, in our daily lives to stop global warming – regardless of whether we are private individuals or companies," is how Jan Adeltoft, CEO at WebProof, summarises our CO₂ problem and continue "What do you or your company do to reduce CO₂?“

*The calculations are carried out based on recommendations in the publication “Going Carbon Neutral, A Guide for Publishers" by Guy Dauncey.