Definition and Components of Carbon Footprint Calculation
– A carbon footprint is a measurement of emissions of carbon dioxide or CO2-equivalent amounts of other greenhouse gases in tonnes of emissions per unit of comparison.
– It allows for comparisons of the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted from an activity, product, company, or country.
– Carbon footprints can be expressed per year, per person, per kilogram of protein, per kilometer traveled, etc.
– The emissions included in a carbon footprint cover the entire life cycle of a product or the direct and indirect emissions caused by an organization.
– Various methodologies and online tools are available to calculate carbon footprints for different entities.
– Carbon footprints are typically expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) per unit of comparison.
– They include all greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide, and consider emissions from economic activities, events, organizations, and services.
– Some definitions of carbon footprint only consider carbon dioxide emissions, excluding other greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide.
– The Greenhouse Gas Protocol covers the accounting and reporting of seven greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and others.
– Comprehensive carbon footprint reporting includes Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, addressing gaps in current systems.
Calculation Methods for Different Entities
– For organizations, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol is commonly used, which includes three carbon emission scopes: Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3.
– Scope 1 emissions refer to direct carbon emissions from sources on the site producing a product or delivering a service.
– Scope 2 emissions are indirect carbon emissions caused by purchasing secondary energy sources like electricity or heat.
– Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions associated with upstream or downstream processes that an organization does not own or control.
– Consumption-based accounting using input-output analysis is used to calculate the carbon footprint of countries, considering emissions from imported goods and services.
Comparison of Carbon Footprint Definitions
– Some definitions of carbon footprint include only carbon dioxide emissions, while others include multiple greenhouse gases using carbon dioxide equivalents.
– The IPCC definition of carbon footprint covers only carbon dioxide emissions, while the Greenhouse Gas Protocol includes all important greenhouse gases.
– The IPCC justified excluding other greenhouse gases due to difficulties in quantification and practicality concerns.
– However, not including gases like methane can underestimate the climate impact of certain products or sectors.
– Terms like greenhouse gas footprint and climate footprint are used to emphasize that all greenhouse gases are included in the carbon footprint calculation.
Types of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
– The Greenhouse Gas Protocol divides emissions into three scopes within the value chain: Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3.
– Scope 1 emissions are direct carbon emissions caused by the organization, such as burning fossil fuels on-site.
– Scope 2 emissions are indirect carbon emissions caused by purchasing secondary energy sources like electricity or heat.
– Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions associated with upstream or downstream processes that an organization does not own or control.
– The greenhouse gas protocol provides standards for tracking and reporting greenhouse gas emissions across these scopes.
Upstream and Downstream Emissions
– Emissions can be categorized as direct or indirect.
– Direct emissions are produced from activities within the organization’s control.
– Indirect emissions are produced from activities outside the organization’s control.
– Upstream carbon emissions include transportation of materials and fuels, energy used outside of the production facility, and waste produced outside the production facility.
– Downstream carbon emissions include emissions associated with selling the product, end-of-life processes or treatments, product and waste transportation, and disposal of products.
– The GHG Protocol emphasizes the calculation of upstream and downstream emissions to identify the complete carbon footprint and develop effective emission reduction strategies.
– Understanding and addressing scope 3 emissions, which encompass all other indirect emissions from an organization’s activities, is essential for comprehensive sustainability efforts. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_footprint
A carbon footprint (or greenhouse gas footprint) is a calculated value or index that makes it possible to compare the total amount of greenhouse gases that an activity, product, company or country adds to the atmosphere. Carbon footprints are usually reported in tonnes of emissions (CO2-equivalent) per unit of comparison. Such units can be for example tonnes CO2-eq per year, per kilogram of protein for consumption, per kilometer travelled, per piece of clothing and so forth. A product's carbon footprint includes the emissions for the entire life cycle. These run from the production along the supply chain to its final consumption and disposal. Similarly an organization's carbon footprint includes the direct as well as the indirect emissions that it causes. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol that is used for carbon accounting of organizations calls these Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. There are several methodologies and online tools to calculate the carbon footprint. They depend on whether the focus is on a country, organization, product or individual person. For example, the carbon footprint of a product could help consumers decide which product to buy if they want to be climate aware. For climate change mitigation activities, the carbon footprint can help distinguish those economic activities with a high footprint from those with a low footprint. So the carbon footprint concept allows everyone to make comparisons between the climate impacts of individuals, products, companies and countries. It also helps people devise strategies and priorities for reducing the carbon footprint.
To express a carbon footprint we usually use the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) per unit of comparison. This sums up all the greenhouse gas emissions. It includes all greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide. And it looks at emissions from economic activities, events, organizations and services. In some definitions, only the carbon dioxide emissions are taken into account. These do not include other greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide.
We use various methods to calculate the carbon footprint of different entities. For organizations we commonly use the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. It includes three carbon emission scopes. Scope 1 refers to direct carbon emissions. Scope 2 and 3 refer to indirect carbon emissions. Scope 3 emissions are those indirect emissions that result from the activities of an organization but come from sources which they do not own or control. For countries we can use consumption-based emissions accounting to calculate their carbon footprint for a given year. Consumption-based accounting using input-output analysis backed by super-computing makes it possible to analyse global supply chains. Countries also prepare national GHG inventories for the UNFCCC. The GHG emissions listed in those national inventories are only from activities in the country itself. We call this approach territorial-based accounting or production-based accounting. They do not take into account production of goods and services imported on behalf of residents. Consumption-based accounting does reflect emissions from goods and services imported from other countries.
Consumption-based accounting is therefore more comprehensive. This comprehensive carbon footprint reporting including Scope 3 emissions deals with gaps in current systems. Countries' GHG inventories for the UNFCCC do not include international transport. Comprehensive carbon footprint reporting looks at the final demand for emissions, to where the consumption of the goods and services takes place.
