If you have a business, you are certainly looking to grow through various strategies. But behind each decision, you need to think about several elements, especially when it comes to the environment. Indeed, everyone is looking to act responsibly to limit their carbon footprint, so it's only natural to expect the same from businesses of all sizes.
But to make sure you are taking the right direction, it is important to have an awareness of your company's carbon footprint, and for that you will have to go for a carbon footprint calculation. Why and how to do it? Here's everything you need to know to easily find out your company's carbon footprint!
Why is it necessary to make a carbon footprint calculation?
If you are interested in this subject, you probably already know that it is important to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to do so you need to know your carbon footprint. This is the main reason why you need to do a carbon footprint calculation for your company.
But in concrete terms, why do you need to perform a carbon footprint calculation? Here are a few explanations that will be enough to convince you if you still have any hesitation.
- For your company's ethics: it is important to act on a personal level. Whether it is individually or with your company, if you can act in favor of the environment, do not hesitate. A carbon footprint calculation will help you to position yourself and to make the right decisions afterwards.
- For the regulation: the government asks companies with more than 500 employees to carry out a mandatory carbon footprint, so if you are concerned you don't have to ask yourself the question, you have to do a carbon footprint calculation.
- For your company's brand image: performing a carbon footprint calculation allows you to show your commitment to our beautiful planet. Of course you should not hesitate to communicate your results and the measures taken as a result. This will help to reach your prospects but also to improve your image with employees and external collaborators.
- To stand out from your competitors: customers are aware and want to participate in a sustainable and responsible business. It is therefore important to make your carbon footprint calculation to make the right decisions and help your prospects to act for the environment through your company.
A carbon footprint calculation is necessary if you have to comply with the regulations in force. But the same applies to companies with less than 500 employees wishing to develop a more responsible professional activity.
How to succeed in your corporate carbon footprint calculation?
So before you start making decisions to have a more responsible professional activity, you must succeed in your corporate carbon footprint calculation. But how to do it?
The carbon footprint calculation takes into account your carbon footprint, i.e. all the greenhouse gas emissions of your activity.
- Carbon dioxide
- Methane
- Nitrous oxide
- Hydrofluorocarbons
- Perfluorocarbons
- Sulfur hexafluoride
The carbon footprint calculation will also take into account the scope and method, i.e. what you buy, move and use to make your business successful. All of this data will be analyzed over a given period of time called a time scope, usually a 12 month period.
However, when calculating your company's carbon footprint, you will encounter two approaches, the monetary one, i.e. in kgCO2e/€, and the physical one, i.e. in kgCO2e/km.
Understand the monetary approach: it will help you to quickly calculate your CO2 emission according to your expenses (material purchases, investment in communication etc).
Use the physical approach: it allows you to have a complementary approach by analyzing data that cannot be summarized in terms of expenses, such as a car journey for example. This precise approach will help to have a complete assessment of your CO2 emissions.
And then, what to do with the results of your carbon footprint calculation?
Once your carbon footprint calculation has been carried out based on direct and indirect emissions, scopes and different categories, you will have to continue your work.
Indeed, what can you do with the result of your carbon footprint calculation?
- Dedicate a team to improving your carbon footprint to keep your business running smoothly.
- Train your employees and take the time to make them aware of environmental issues (turn off your computer every night, use lights responsibly, carpool, optimize waste management...)
- Implement optimizations for your teams: help with carpooling, plan responsible transportation for company seminars.
- Partner with a green electricity supplier to become a more responsible company.
- Optimize the recycling of your products and the functioning of your company in terms of transportation, consumption and production.
All of this will take time but you will gradually achieve better results in your corporate carbon footprint calculation!
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