How to calculate a Corporate Carbon Footprint

Your company can divide the task of calculating carbon footprint into four steps:

1.-      System boundary definition. 

First, identify every business operation that emits GHG into the atmosphere. For example, heating, transportation, any business-related activity that consumes electricity or energy, waste management, etc. Choose a metric and determine how much your organization executes each business operation.

2.-      Data collection and data management 

 Collecting the necessary data can be challenging because you will likely need external data to accurately calculate your company’s carbon footprint. Technologies can help.

3.-      Calculation of emissions

To calculate the GHG emissions associated with each activity, convert your data using this calculation:

Data x Emission Factor = Greenhouse gas emissions

You need to know how much GHG emissions are generated per kilowatt-hour of electricity used, per gallon of gasoline consumed, etc. You then add together the total GHG emission from each activity to reveal your carbon footprint.

4.-       Analyzing and reporting results

The final step is to interpret your company’s carbon footprint. By doing so, you can find out which activities generate the most GHG emissions and you can also develop action plans to reduce your company’s carbon footprint and to inform your customers and investors.