Calculation of the CO2 emissions according to standards
The climate crisis is often considered to be the most important global environmental challenges of this century. It is a vital interest of companies to know and communicate the carbon footprints of their activities and their products and services. That is why more and more companies ask ESU-services to assess their global warming potential either on a product or on a corporate / organizational level.
Different standards - different scopes
The British Standard PAS 2050 was introduced in 2008 and is the first standard to quantify product carbon footprints worldwide. In 2011, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) released the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol Standard adding requirements for reporting of GHG emissions for products and production processes.
- Scope 1: Direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by the organization.
- Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat, or steam.
- Scope 3: Other indirect emissions occurring throughout the organization's value chain, including upstream and downstream activities.
Further, originating from Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed the ISO 14067 standard in 2013 based on existing standards (ISO 14040, ISO 14044). Different from the GHG Protocol Standard, it sets the scope for assessing the carbon footprint of a product based on a life cycle assessment approach. This is including the calculation of GHG emissions across the entire life cycle of a product, from raw material extraction and production to use and end-of-life disposal or recycling.
The European Commission released its Circular Economy Package which includes a proposal for an Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). The ESPR identifies a Digital Product Passport (DPP) as key, enhancing the traceability of carbon footprints of products and their components.
Both standards can be used to measure, analyze and reduce GHG emissions depending on the individual goals and incentives that are set. Contact us directly to find out more about different standards and scopes of assessing GHG emissions.
Corporate Carbon Footprint
Several reporting initiatives and directives exist for companies to report their GHG emissions. These initiatives provide frameworks, guidelines, and standards to help organizations measure, manage, and report their GHG emissions. Some of the most notable ones include:
- CSRD - The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is a directive by the European Union which obliges detailed disclosure of sustainability information for capital market-oriented companies starting from 2025, aiming to enhance transparency and comparability. Concerned companies must prepare their corporate reporting in accordance with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).
- ESRS - The European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) are new reporting standards established within the framework of the CSRD. They define the scope and structure of reports and provide clear guidelines for disclosing environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects. ESG criteria and frameworks are used to consider environmental, sustainability, and social issues within corporate governance, public bodies, governments, and authorities. The assessment of GHG emissions is amongst these criteria.
- SBTI - The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between CDP, the UN Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Unlike others, it does not only focus on measuring and reporting GHG emissions, but also sets reduction targets for the companies to be in line with the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
- GRI - The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is internationally acknowledged as a standard for sustainability reporting, assisting companies in identifying pertinent environmental, social, and governance aspects. However, from 2025, even if European companies already report according to GRI, they must additionally report according to the CSRD.
ESU-services Ltd. is your experienced partner to assess your companies carbon footprint in order to set a solid foundation for your corporate reporting ambitions. Get in contact with us now.
ESU helps in assessing your GHG-emissions
ESU-services Ltd. has long experience in investigating the carbon footprint (or global warming potential) as one part of a detailed life cycle assessment. We performed and are performing several analyses of carbon footprints of individual persons, companies, products and the overall Swiss consumption patterns. With our work we support the development, refinement and update of CO2-footprint calculators. Results of our studies have been published in media. Furthermore, we actively participate in the different standardisation initiatives mentioned above and in further developing the methodology for assessing impacts of aviation.
Working with us, you get unbiased, transparent, fair and comprehensive carbon footprint analyses according to any relevant standard. Our carbon footprint services include hints to other relevant environmental impacts (such as water use) along your supply chains.
We are (and were) not involved in CO2 emission trading nor in carbon offset projects. This ensures an independent, true and fair assessment of your CO2 emissions and helping to reduce these emissions. We consider this much more relevant than any type of carbon compensation projects.
Contact us to learn more about carbon footprint and its benefits for your company.
Working examples
Rolf Frischknecht, Cyril Brunner, Guillaume Habert, Niko Heeren, Bruno Peuportier, Matti Kuittinen, Alexander Passer, Cornelia Stettler, Andrew Norton, Hansueli Schmid, Ilkka Leinonen, Niels Jungbluth, Christian Bauer (2022) Biogenic Carbon & Climate Change Mitigation: Silver Bullet or Flash in the Pan? 80th LCA discussion forum, Zürich, Switzerland
Niels Jungbluth, Nadia Malinverno, Martin Ulrich (2022) Tree planting for carbon mitigation? Assessment options over the life cycle. LCA discussion forum 80, Zürich, ESU-services Ltd., Schaffhausen
Niels Jungbluth (2020) Characterisation factors for including the radiative forcing index for import to SimaPro. Now available with factors to be applied for ecoinvent v3.6, UVEK or KBOB background data.
Annaheim J. and Jungbluth N. (2019) Carbon footprint of peat use and destruction in Switzerland in connection to agriculture. Praktikumsarbeit bei der ESU-services GmbH, Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
Jungbluth N. and Meili C. (2018) Recommendations for calculation of the global warming potential of aviation including the radiative forcing index. In: Int J LCA, accepted, pp. 1-8, DOI: 10.1007/s11367-018-1556-3, Free view on https://rdcu.be/bbKZk
Jungbluth N., Meili C. (2018) Aviation and Climate Change: Best practice for calculation of the global warming potential. Working paper. ESU-services Schaffhausen.
Christoph Meili, Niels Jungbluth (2018) Why the LCIA-method IPCC 2013 is insufficient to show realistic climate-impacts of aircraft emissions. Forum for Sustainability through Life Cycle Innovation e.V., Life Cycle Innovation Conference 2018 (LCIC), Berlin, 31.08.2018
Jungbluth N. (2013) Aviation and Climate Change: Best practice for calculation of the global warming potential. Working paper. ESU-services Zürich. Power Point presentation at the DF 66 and Video about this issue are also available.
CO2-Reduktion im Alltag: Der Klimaschutz-Lifestyle. Manche Leute erfüllen bereits heute die klimapolitischen Ziele der Schweiz für das Jahr 2020 – zum Teil, ohne sich dessen bewusst zu sein. Gehören Sie auch dazu? Artikel im Magazin UMWELT 3/2008 Klimawandel basierend auf einer Studie von ESU-services im Auftrag des BAFU.
Jungbluth N., Can a carbon footprint give a good picture on environmental impacts? Swiss Discussion Forum LCA Lausanne 19. 3. 2009 (download)
Jungbluth N., Steiner R. and Frischknecht R. B. (2006) Graue Treibhausgas-Emissionen der Schweiz: 1990 bis 2004. ESU-services, Uster, im Auftrag des Bundesamtes für Umwelt (BAFU), Bern, CH.
