What Is Needed To Calculate GHG Emissions Based On The GHG Protocol
Calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is crucial for organizations seeking to understand and mitigate their environmental impact. The GHG Protocol provides a standardized framework for measuring and reporting emission. The audit helps businesses, governments, and other entities make informed decisions about sustainability. Today, we present a comprehensive guide on how to calculate GHG emissions based on the GHG Protocol.
Understanding the GHG Protocol
The GHG Protocol is the most widely used accounting tool for quantifying and managing GHG emission. It was developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The protocol outlines methodologies for calculating emissions across three scopes:
Scope 1: Direct emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the reporting entity, such as onsite combustion of fossil fuels and emission from owned vehicles.
Scope 2: Indirect emission from the generation of purchased electricity, heat, or steam consumed by the reporting entity.
Scope 3: Indirect emission from sources not owned or controlled by the reporting entity, such as those from purchased goods and services, business travel, and employee commuting.
The practice provides a comprehensive framework for organizations to assess their entire carbon footprint by categorizing emission into these scopes.
Identifying Emission Sources
Our first step in calculating GHG emissions is identifying sources within each scope. We conduct a thorough inventory of all activities and processes that generate emission. These include energy consumption, transportation, waste management, and supply chain activities.
For Scope 1 emissions, we help organizations identify sources such as fuel combustion in boilers, vehicles, and manufacturing processes. Scope 2 emission typically include electricity consumption, which can be obtained from utility bills or direct meter readings. Scope 3 GHG emissions audit require a more extensive analysis of upstream and downstream activities. The aspects we assess here include supplier, product lifecycle, and employee commuting.
Collecting Data
The next step is to collect relevant data to quantify emission once we identify sources. This may involve gathering information from utility bills, fuel consumption records, transportation logs, and procurement data. We proceed further to engage with your suppliers and partners during GHG energy audit to obtain data on Scope 3 emission.
Applying Emission Factors
After collecting data, organizations need to apply emission factors to convert activity data into CO2 equivalents (CO2e). Emission factors represent the amount of GHGs emitted per unit of activity. These include kilograms of CO2 emitted per kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed or per gallon of fuel burned. The GHG Protocol provides factors for various activities and fuels based on scientific research and industry standards. We can also use region-specific factors to account for variations in energy sources and emission intensity.
Calculating Emissions
Once emission factors have been applied to activity data, organizations can calculate the total for each scope. This involves multiplying activity data (e. G., energy consumption, fuel usage) by the corresponding factors to obtain CO2e emission.
Reporting and Verification
We report our findings in accordance with the GHG Protocol guidelines after the calculations. This typically involves preparing a GHG inventory report that summarizes emissions data for each scope. We present these results along with relevant contextual information and analysis.
