Does your organization want to reduce its carbon footprint? Or perhaps even become carbon neutral? Then you need to know where you stand to begin with. In other words: measure your organization’s CO2 emissions. Many organizations struggle with this. Because where do we start? And how do you actually measure the total amount of CO2 an organization produces? The short answer: just start. Sustainability is not a matter of thinking, but of doing. And it really is easier than you think. In this article we give you tools to determine the CO2 footprint of your organization step by step.
Calculating CO2 footprint: three scopes
For starters, you should know that the globally recognized Greenhouse Gas Protocol distinguishes three levels, or “scopes,” at which an organization emits CO2:
- Scope 1: direct CO2 emissions from sources in the organization, such as in buildings, factories and vehicles. Consider the burning of gas to heat premises.
- Scope 2: indirect CO2 emissions from purchased electricity or heat. Consider the CO2 released in the generation of the electricity you consume.
- Scope 3: indirect emissions of CO2 from business activities of other organizations you work with. Think suppliers, waste processors and investors.
In this article, we limit ourselves to calculating scope 1 and 2 emissions. In a subsequent article, we will look at scope 3. Your emissions in scope 1 and 2 are fairly easy to calculate, and also the easiest to reduce. So start here. By the way, this is not to say that scope 3 is unimportant. In sectors such as retail and construction, this is where the most profit can be made!
Step 1. Identify sources of emissions.
The first step in calculating total emissions is to determine the sources of CO2. This varies by sector and, of course, depends on business processes. For factories, CO2 emissions are often already defined in an emissions plan. For offices and stores, consider the consumption of gas and electricity for the premises, fuel for cars and other vehicles, and refrigerants for air conditioners.
Step 2. Find consumption data
Next, for each CO2 source, figure out how much of it you consume. This is usually the trickiest step. Often organizations know how many euros are spent on heating and fuel, but how many cubic meters of gas and how many liters of gasoline are behind it is trickier.
Step 3. Estimate missing data.
Especially the first time, getting a complete overview of all data will be difficult. In that case, you can estimate missing data. For example, if you do not know the exact consumption of the heating system, you can use standard data on consumption per square meter of office. The same applies to car emissions: they can be estimated using the average CO2 emissions per kilometer.
Step 4. Calculate CO2 emissions based on data.
Based on the consumer data, you can now calculate the CO2 emissions per source. By possibly supplementing this with estimated data and then adding it up, you arrive at the total CO2 emissions of the organization in scope 1 and 2. On websites such as CO2emissiefactoren.nl you can find accurate consumption figures per unit for a large number of emission sources. The calculation tools of klimaatplein.com and carbonmanager.nl are also useful tools for this.
Step 5. Report and visualize
All found data can now be captured and visualized in a report. That way you have a tangible and clear document containing your carbon footprint that is useful for both internal and external communication. By including the CO2 emissions in relation to the number of FTEs or annual turnover in the report, you get a good reference point for the future. It is also possible to have this report certified externally. This, by the way, requires that you report according to the quality guidelines of ISO 14064. Not mandatory for small companies, but it will make your report more credible and convincing!
Step 6. Spot opportunities and get to work on sustainability!
The report containing a detailed description of your CO2 emissions provides a good basis to start doing what it is really all about: reducing your CO2 footprint. To spot opportunities, you can compare your CO2 emissions per component with industry peers. Does it turn out that you score poorly on a particular component and can you easily improve it? Then start picking these low-hanging fruits. You can also take a look at the CO2 performance ladder. Here you will find a number of standard steps that any organization can take almost immediately.
Need help measuring your organization’s CO2 emissions and optimizing business processes in terms of ESG? Read more about how Empact can help your organization here or contact us directly with no obligation.