Carbon accounting

Carbon accounting, also known as greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting, refers to the process of measuring, managing, and reporting the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other GHG emissions produced by an organization, individual, product, or event. The purpose of carbon accounting is to provide a quantitative basis for understanding and reducing emissions of GHGs, which are the primary drivers of climate change. Carbon accounting can be applied across various scales, from global and national inventories to individual companies and products.

Process..?

  Identification: Determining the sources of GHG emissions within the scope of the accounting exercise. This could include direct emissions from owned or controlled sources (Scope 1), indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling (Scope 2), and all other indirect emissions that occur in the value chain of the reporting company, including both upstream and downstream emissions (Scope 3).

  Data Collection: Gathering data relevant to the identified sources of emissions. This may involve collecting information on fuel consumption, electricity use, business travel, material sourcing, product use, and end-of-life treatment.

  Calculation: Applying emission factors to the collected activity data to convert it into carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), which enable the comparison of emissions from different GHGs based on their global warming potential (GWP). Various methodologies and protocols, such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, provide standardized approaches for these calculations.

  Management: Using the insights gained from the carbon accounting process to develop strategies for managing and reducing GHG emissions. This may include setting emission reduction targets, identifying efficiency improvements, investing in renewable energy, or purchasing carbon offsets.

  Reporting: Communicating the results of the carbon accounting process to stakeholders, including investors, customers, regulatory bodies, and the public. Reporting can be voluntary or mandatory, depending on the regulatory context and the organization’s commitments to sustainability.

  Emissions Data Collection: Automating the gathering of data from various sources within the organization, such as energy consumption, transportation, and manufacturing processes.

  Carbon Footprint Calculation: Using established methodologies to calculate the carbon footprint from the collected data. This typically involves converting activity data (e.g., kWh of electricity used, liters of fuel consumed) into carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions using emission factors.

  Reporting and Dashboarding: Providing customizable reports and dashboards that help organizations track their emissions over time, compare performance against targets or benchmarks, and identify areas for improvement.

  Scenario Analysis and Forecasting: Enabling organizations to model different scenarios to understand potential future emissions under various operational or strategic changes.

  Compliance and Certification Support: Assisting organizations in meeting reporting requirements for regulatory purposes or voluntary sustainability standards, and in some cases, automating the submission process.

Hotspot finding

Human, sq ft calculation, product tc

A tonne of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) is a unit of measurement that describes the impact of a given amount of greenhouse gas emissions on global warming, relative to the impact of emitting one tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2). The concept of CO2 equivalent is crucial in the field of carbon accounting and climate science because it allows for the comparison and aggregation of emissions from different greenhouse gases based on their global warming potential (GWP).