At present, our topmost priority should be minimizing pollution.
When you are running a company, you are always responsible for running through the most sustainable path possible. Almost everything we do causes certain carbon emissions. Whether it is the way your employees are coming to the office or the waste you are releasing into landfills.
All these are the reasons for carbon emission.
And this emission is the major enemy of our environment and our beloved earth.
So, you need to regulate your carbon emission with some alternative solutions. In order to do so, you first need to perform a Carbon calculation for your company. Here, in this article, we will talk about that.
Before starting with the main topic, let’s understand what carbon footprint actually is.
What Is Carbon Footprint?
It is basically the amount of GHG or greenhouse gas emissions that are being produced during the usual operations of your company. When it comes to calculating carbon footprints, it is usually measured in terms of an annual footprint.
However, product companies need to consider the carbon footprint on a per-product basis.
Uit doesn’t matter what the frame of measurement is; the unit of your carbon footprint will always be in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2). Although carbon dioxide is not the only GHG, it is the most common one.
Apart from CO2, nitrous oxide and methane are the others. These are also being calculated in terms of CO2.
The Importance Of Calculating Carbon Footprint
We always want you to take your carbon footprint seriously. Without knowing its importance, you will not be able to consider carbon footprint calculation as one of the most important parts of your company’s operations.
We all are aware of climate change, and if this continues to go at the same rate, the days are not far when we will be evicted from our own home, “EARTH.” Climate change also affects the companies and businesses. By calculating your company’s carbon footprint, you will be able to find out ways to reduce it.
In addition to that, consumers are also becoming more interested in those brands and products that are fulfilling their responsibilities to the environment and our home. Around 67% of the consumers prefer the products and brands that are labeled as a responsible entity for measuring and reducing their carbon footprint.
Calculate Your Company’s Carbon Footprint
Now, let’s start with the main topic and learn how to calculate the carbon footprint of your company.
1. Know Different Carbon Emission Types
When we are talking about carbon footprint, we must know the different types of carbon emissions. And they are as follows.
- Scope 1: These are basically the greenhouse gases that are the bi-product of your company’s operations. Also, all the pollutants coming from your production machines and leaking refrigerators fall into this category of carbon emission.
- Scope 2: When you are running a business, some companies are supplying you with the required energy. In most cases, these types of companies provide you with electricity, steam, and heat. The greenhouse gases coming from these companies are considered as scrop 2 carbon emissions.
- Scope 3: Now, this one is indirectly related to your company. Some particular actions result in this type of carbon emission. All the actions usually involve how your staff is commuting to work or the waste that is emitting methane gas.
2. Work With An Appropriate Framework.
Over the past years, several frameworks have been introduced in the market to help companies calculate and reduce their carbon emission. Here, you need to choose the most suitable model and utilize it during your entire reporting phase.
Here are some of the common approaches you can go for.
- TCFD or Task Force on Climate-Related Disclosure.
- CCRF or Climate Change Reporting Framework.
- GRI or Global Reporting Initiative.
After all, climate change affects the global economy, so you need to choose the best possible framework for your company operations.
3. Gather Greenhouse Gas Data
Here comes the most important step, as it is going to determine how correctly your calculations are being performed. You need to make sure that you have included every source of emissions along with their quantities.
For carbon calculation, you must collect the below-mentioned data.
- Natural gas (in kilowatt-hours).
- Water supply (in gallons or cubic meters).
- Water treatment (in cubic meters).
- Waste and water disposal are released into the land-fill (in tons).
- Field used by the transport vehicles (on the basis of mileage).
- Distance, your employees have traveled (in miles).
4. Calculate Your Emission
First, you need to convert the data you have collected from different sources using an “emission factor.” Here is the emission equation.
E = A x EF x (1-ER/100) |
E => emissions.
A =>activity rate.
EF => emission factor.
ER => overall emission reduction efficiency (in %).
The Solution
Now that you get accurate data on the emission that is coming from your company operations, you need to create an action plan for reducing that. For some of the actions, you can opt for more sustainable options like altering the product design, changing into energy-saving lamps, and changing the mode of transportation.
