NSF International, a public health and safety organization, and Trucost Plc, a global provider of environmental data and analysis, today announced the availability of a new report, "Carbon Emissions – Measuring the Risks." The report examines the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of S&P 500 companies in several different sectors, including industrial goods and services. Many U.S. companies might have to pay for GHG emissions under a proposed cap-and-trade program. The report looks at GHGs emitted by S&P 500 companies in several sectors, including chemicals, food and beverage, healthcare, industrial goods and services, personal and household goods, automobiles and parts and retail. According to Malcolm Fox, vice president of corporate services for Trucost, an NSF International Partner, “Industry by industry, this report presents those impacts and identifies critical strategies to prepare for upcoming legislation and turns risks into a competitive advantage. For example, the average industrial service firm needs to prepare for the fact that over 70% of their carbon emissions are embedded in their supply chain, representing a significant financial risk.” The report addresses measuring and reporting GHG emissions; sectors that emit the most direct operational GHGs; sectors most exposed to carbon costs under regulations to control GHG emissions; and significant environmental impacts of each sector. “Carbon-intensive companies will be most exposed to carbon costs under the cap-and-trade program to be introduced in 2012 under the draft American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (Waxman-Markey Bill),” said Koen Bontinck, vice president of NSF Sustainability Services. “The goal of this report is to not only provide companies with an affordable analysis of their current operations and exposure to carbon costs, but also to help them implement sustainable business practices and verify their GHG emissions data in preparation for the new regulations.” Key components of the report include carbon benchmarking, financial risk and environmental impacts. Key findings revealed that the average major U.S. industrial good/services company emits 1.2 million metric tons of GHGs annually. Also, over 70% of emissions originate from supply chains, representing a serious financial exposure as costs are passed on to manufacturers. The cost of carbon may reach as high as 18% of earnings for some firms, as measured by earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Companies that compete with more carbon-efficient peers could lose market share. To view the report, go to http://www.nsf.org/info/sandpcarbonemissionsreport/.