Carbon calculator wins Innovation Award

19 Jul 2011

Academics from the School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science have received the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Innovation Award from the Chemical Industries Association for CCaLC, a unique piece of software that calculates carbon emissions over the life cycle of industrial activities.

The award ceremony, held in Birmingham, celebrated the best work in the UK chemical industry. Categories included manufacturing, energy, resource efficiency, reputation, leadership, and skills. 

The GSK Innovation Award is given to the company that provides the most successful example of innovation in an area of its business that helps tackle current issues, such as climate change.

The judging panel were looking for a clever idea that had been positively implemented in terms of both commercial success and the benefit of the UK chemical industry.

Professor Adisa Azapagic, Director of CCaLC, travelled to Birmingham to collect the award on behalf of the Manchester team.

Speaking about the software her team developed, she said:  “Obtaining robust carbon footprint data is not easy. The CCaLC team have developed this software based on the life-cycle methodology, which brings carbon footprinting closer to industry, enabling them to better understand its impact.”

Since the launch of CCaLC in August 2010 it has been downloaded by more than 2,000 organisations, and following recommendations by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation and Growth Team the Government has recommended the software as a ‘tool of choice’ for the sector.

Professor Azapagic went on to say: “We are delighted to have won such a prestigious award. CCaLC has been developed with the aim of helping companies to estimate and reduce the carbon footprint of their products and technologies.

“It’s free of charge and easy to use by non-experts, so the tool enables companies to be self-reliant in their estimations of carbon footprints, without the need to depend on consultants or a third party.”

For more information about Carbon Calculations over the Life Cycle of Industrial Activities please visit www.ccalc.org.uk

For more information about the awards please visit the Chemical Industries Association website at www.cia.org.uk