1300 797 669
Join the movement
    |
| Determining the Carbon Footprint |
 The carbon footprint captures all the data required to assess the emissions for your business. This is the equivalent of a “carbon profit and loss statement”. It becomes the baseline from where reductions can be measured. And we all know that “What gets measured gets managed”. As such this becomes the starting point for a carbon responsive workplace.Using the National Greenhouse Accounts Factors basic information is converted into carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-e). For instance, unleaded fuel has an Energy Factor which converts litres of fuel consumption into Gigajoules (GJ) of energy. This is then converted into CO2-e for the Carbon Footprint. Similar conversion factors are used for all other emission sources. Some types of emissions have Global Warming Factors (GWF) which are considerable more damaging than carbon dioxide itself. A tonne of Nitrous Oxide emissions has 310 times the impact of carbon dioxide. Nitrous Oxide is often associated with spreading fertilisers and burning of agricultural crops such as wheat stubble. There are three themes under which the emission sources are summarised. They are: Scope 1 Emissions which are described as those which are created by the enterprise itself. These are otherwise known as Direct Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Examples will include: vehicle emissions, the on-site production of steam or energy, and the leakage of HFC refrigerants from air conditioning units, cool rooms and refrigerators. Scope 2 Emissions are the result of the consumption of purchased electricity, gas or steam. These are easily determined by reference to the supplier’s invoice. Conversions are required to convert the energy consumption into CO2-e. Scope 3 Emissions are indirect emissions resulting from activities of the business. Examples will include airline travel, waste taken to landfill, use of public transport, production of raw materials, and third party transport. The calculation of Scope 3 emissions is optional. With all this information the management team can embark upon strategies to reduce emissions and take steps to re-position the business in this carbon aware economy. |
