- The organizational scope: Depending on the size of the company, you should define which subsidiaries and legal structures are included in the calculation.
- The technical scope: You have probably already heard of the three scopes used to describe a company's activities – referred to as Scope 1, 2, and 3. We have summarized for you what they specifically mean:
- Scope 1: This area covers the company's direct emissions, i.e. those directly linked to the company's activities. These include, for example, emissions from production processes or from company-owned vehicles.
- Scope 2: This covers the indirect emissions arising from the purchase of electricity and energy.
- Scope 3: This scope is the most complicated to estimate. It covers all emissions that arise within the company's value chain and concern upstream and downstream activities. These include, for example, waste generation, employee commuting, or purchased goods and services.
Source: https://www.ghgprotocol.org/sites/default/files/ghgp/standards_supporting/Diagram%20of%20sco pes%20and%20emissions%20across%20the%20value%20chain.pdf
Source: https://www.ghgprotocol.org/sites/default/files/ghgp/standards_supporting/Diagram%20of%20sco pes%20and%20emissions%20across%20the%20value%20chain.pdf
Glacier's carbon footprint
Home office and Scope 3 emissions
At Glacier, we have decided to take all three scopes into account for the calculation of our carbon footprint in 2021. Last year, many employees worked from home due to the pandemic. We therefore also included the electricity and energy consumption from the home office in our calculation. In our case, the calculation of Scope 3 emissions covers the emissions related to food consumption, employee commuting, office equipment, and waste generation.
2. Data collection
Once the scope of the calculation has been defined, the necessary data must be collected. This step is also referred to as the 'Carbon Footprint Inventory'. It involves identifying all the data required to calculate the carbon footprint. To calculate Scope 2 emissions, for example, you need to know the company's electricity and energy consumption.
Glacier's carbon footprint
Use a tool for data collection
For us, this part was particularly time-consuming. As our office is located in a co-working space, the required data is held by various people. For data collection, we had to involve several departments and suppliers.
Our tip: To determine our carbon footprint, we used our own CO₂ manager CARMA. CARMA provides guiding questions and tips for data collection to calculate the carbon footprint in the following categories: electricity, buildings, mobility, food, office and IT, waste, as well as materials and processes. 3. Calculating the carbon footprint All collected activities and data are then converted into greenhouse gas emissions using emission factors. This conversion is carried out automatically in CARMA and is based on the methodology of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
Glacier's carbon footprint
The biggest factor: energy.
The largest share of Glacier's carbon footprint comes from the energy we need to heat our workplaces. The second important factor is the office and IT area. This includes all electronic devices and the online servers used to host our website.
Our tip: CARMA is a powerful tool that allows you to quickly estimate your company's carbon footprint and immediately take action to reduce it. However, if you want to take into account the specific characteristics of your company and expand the calculation of Scope 3 emissions, a specific analysis of your company will increase the accuracy of the calculation. We offer individual consulting for this. Feel free to contact us if you are interested! How do you start calculating your company's carbon footprint? You now have an idea of the steps involved in calculating your company's carbon footprint. To help you get started right away, we have put together a list of measures you can tackle today – regardless of your tasks or position in the company!
- Designate a person or a team responsible for calculating the carbon footprint: Depending on the company, this could be the sustainability department or the Green Team – or perhaps you? Remember that every job must be a climate job! In our advanced academy, you will learn more about how to set up a Green Team.
- Collect the required data: Collecting data can be tedious, especially because it usually first needs to be gathered from various sources. Data collection requires conversations with other departments and possibly also with your stakeholders, if you also include Scope 3 emissions. Our web application CARMA, the so-called Carbon Manager, helps you gather the required data with guiding questions and tips.
- Get to know the theory of carbon footprint calculation: In this article, we have given you a first overview of carbon accounting. However, there is (much) more to know. If you would like to better understand the various scopes and the definition of CO₂ factors, why not join our advanced Academy starting at the end of May!
- Set targets for reducing your emissions: Of course, it is important to know where your emissions come from. However, you will only have a real impact on climate change if you also set targets to reduce your emissions and take appropriate action. As a first step, take a look at the Science Based Targets website, for example. It helps companies set emission reduction targets aligned with the Paris Agreement to keep the global temperature increase below 1.5 °C.