Measurement and reporting of Carbon Footprint
As a company we have decided to undertake a sustainable path, not only because of the social responsibility to which we are committed in the territory, but also because we want our expeditions and trips to be ecological, responsible, and consistent with the idea of living in a better world from the beginning, with low CO2 emissions. In this note, Paula explains how we measure the Carbon Footprint and gives information about the methodology, international standards, and different types of emissions.
1. Measurement and reporting of the Carbon Footprint
The Carbon Footprint (CF) is an instrument that allows to estimate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions emitted by an individual, organization, event or product (Definition of the UK Carbon Trust).
The calculation consists of compiling the data referring to the direct and indirect consumption of material inputs and energy, and translating them into equivalent CO2 emissions; CO2 was universally chosen as the reference value to be able to compare with other GHGs, since it is the gas that has experienced the greatest growth in the Earth's atmosphere and the most abundant in percentage of all of them.
Carbon footprint calculation methodology
For the application of the tool there are various international standards and reference guides, based in turn on the guidelines developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), for the preparation of greenhouse gas inventories; designed to meet the emissions reporting requirements of Parties to the UNFCCC. Some of the reference standards are ISO 14064-1:2006, GHG Protocol (Greenhouse Gas Protocol), the Bilan Carbone® method and PAS 2050:2011; These tools aim to give credibility and assurance to GHG emission reports.
In general, the methodologies present a similar calculation logic, in which they take into account the physical flows of daily activities (flows of people, objects and energy) to determine the GHG emissions that such activities generate, in a certain time scope. and spatial.
According to the PAS 2050:2011 standard, the process to estimate the Carbon Footprint is divided into four steps:
a. Measurement Scope
b. Data collection
c. Calculation
d. Results and Reduction Opportunity
Measurement Range
In the first instance, the functional unit where the estimate is to be made is defined, and the activities carried out are analyzed in order to identify the origin of the emissions and the limits of the system to be evaluated.
According to the GHG Protocol, emissions can be classified into three types of scope:
Scope 1- Direct emissions: consists of the sources owned or controlled by the person making the estimate (Agency, School, Company): such as air conditioning equipment for heating (boiler, stoves, etc.), and the fuel or kilometers traveled for Transportation used for business trips.
Scope 2- Indirect emissions or purchased energy: consist of the expenditure made to supply the energy necessary for the activities; operation of electrical devices (PC, printer, etc.), air conditioning equipment (radiators, fans, etc.) and technical losses in transmission and distribution of electricity supply are considered as 3.5% of the total.
Scope 3- Includes all indirect emissions that are not owned or controlled by the person making the estimate. For example: the transportation of people from home to work, or external supplies, such as stationery items (reams of A4 and legal paper).
It is essential to define the period in which the calculation will be carried out, in order to monitor the implemented measures and corroborate their effectiveness. It is best to do it annually. All the exclusions of the calculation must also be considered and clarified, in order to order the information and give the results greater clarity.
This is a path that we have undertaken as a company, not only because of the social responsibility to which we are committed in the territory, but also because we want our expeditions and trips to be ecological, responsible and consistent with the idea of living in a world from the beginning. with low CO2 emissions.
See you in the next newsletter!