A carbon footprint is defined as the total emissions caused by an individual, event, organization or product, expressed in tons of CO2 orCO2 equivalent per year. It includes direct emissions, such as those resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels in manufacturing, heating and transportation, as well as the emissions required to produce the electricity associated with the goods and services consumed. In addition, the concept of carbon footprint also often includes emissions of other greenhouse gases, such as methane, nitrous oxide or chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
Calculating the carbon footprint is one of the environmental management tools that allows organizations to determine GHG emissions and define compensation, control, reduction and mitigation measures for them. There are several different tools for calculating carbon footprints for individuals, companies and other organizations. Commonly used methodologies for calculating carbon footprints include:
- GHG Protocol (Greenhouse Gas Protocol) by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development,
- ISO 14064, which deals specifically with greenhouse gas emissions:
- ISO 14064-1 at the organization level;
- ISO 14064-2 at the level of projects and events;
- ISO 14067, for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions at product level.
Validation and verification of the carbon footprint are processes that ensure, respectively, that the calculations of greenhouse gas emissions are carried out on the basis of recognized methodologies and that the results presented accurately reflect the reality of the organization or project. The validation and verification of carbon footprint calculations by an external entity, such as APCER, allows organizations to stand out from their competitors by publishing more credible results and targets, attracting new clients and participating in investment programs and tenders with environmental requirements.
APCER offers support in calculating the carbon footprint, or in validating or verifying these calculations.
