Carbon footprinting is related to LCA but focuses on greenhouse gas emissions only. Climate change is one of the major challenges for humanity and the natural environment. This is caused by an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere due to our activities. Measuring, monitoring, and reduction of total carbon footprint is essential in mitigating this change. Carbon footprinting is currently governed by the existing PAS 2050 in the UK (for products and services), the WBCSD/WRI Product Carbon Accounting initiative, or the ISO 14064 standard. New ISO standards on product carbon footprinting (14067 and 14069) are under development.
At present, carbon reporting is only mandatory for large emitting organisations and, more recently through the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), for companies with an annual electricity consumption of over 6,000 megawatt hours and half hourly electricity meters. In June 2012 the UK Government announced mandatory carbon reporting for all large and medium sized businesses as of 2013. In France, a pilot scheme for mandatory product carbon labelling is already under way which will affect all imported products sold on the French market. In sectors such as packaging, waste, electrical/electronics, and batteries, carbon budgeting measures are already well established. Businesses are now often faced with the following drivers:
- Legislative Compliance.
- Carbon accounting is becoming increasingly important to employees, investors, and other stakeholders.
- Increasing supply chain pressures from customers.
- Desire to be an environmental market leader.
- Brand /reputation positioning and desire to reduce costs.
To meet these challenges, a growing number of organisations are using methods such as LCA and product carbon footprint to highlight opportunity, demonstrate results and for benchmarking. This can help to achieve business and sustainability goals.
There is value in carbon reduction – either through internal business operations, through materials and energy efficiencies that affect your company’s competitive position, or in controlling opportunities elsewhere in the supply chain. The benefits include:
- Improved market share and strengthen market position through lower carbon products.
- Increase in resource and energy efficiency, and resulting cost reductions.
- Track indirect emissions from sources not owned by your company (Scope 3) and report GHG emissions from cradle to grave.
- Reduce your carbon footprint by evaluating future scenarios and implementing carbon management strategies and CSR reporting.
- Benchmarking of your goods and services.
- Carbon Footprint assessment of your products according to ISO 14000 series, PAS 2050 or GHG Protocol.
- Hotspot analysis and risk management: identify carbon hotspots and prioritise action points.
- Obtain robust information on the environmental performance of your products to improve your supply chain engagement and communication with clients.
- Enhance your company image through stakeholder and supply chain engagement.
- Avoid risks and future costs through compliance with current legislation, being prepared for forthcoming legislation, and by meeting customer expectations.
Giraffe help businesses to understand corporate, product or even personall life cycle impacts or carbon footprints, identifying opportunity for resource and cost savings.
For more information on individual carbon footprints see Changing Habbits.