What is our share of responsibility in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, in other words, our contribution to global warming ? It is to measure them that the carbon footprint exists, a measure of the impact of our activities on the environment in terms of CO2 emissions, a calculation that is not reserved only for companies!
What is the carbon footprint?
The carbon footprint is an indicator that measures greenhouse gas emissions.
In general, it is expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) of a human activity. It is the measurement of the volume emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels. We can therefore evaluate the carbon footprint of a company, but also of a territory or even of individuals, a group, a family, etc.
The name "carbon footprint" was chosen because carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. For all measured greenhouse gases (GHG), this global measurement is used in relation to CO2, which indicates an easy-to-interpret result. A country's carbon footprint can also be measured in relation to household GHGs (energy used for transport and heating), to the national production of non-exported goods and services, or to imported products and services.
Calculating the carbon footprint
The carbon footprint is calculated by assessing the direct GHG emissions due to the use of energy consumed by the company/group/individual in question, including the analysis of life cycles. The life cycle of a product is assessed by taking into account not only its impact during its use (direct emissions), but also that of its genesis, until its disappearance. We then include in the calculation the "indirect" GHG emissions which come from the supply of raw materials, transformation, transport, distribution without forgetting destruction, recycling or transformation after use. Inevitably, the balance sheet is then much heavier, but also fairer.
Carbon footprint and carbon balance
The term "carbon footprint" is a general term that indicates the measurement intended for individuals or any other group. Each country thus measures its greenhouse gas emissions in order to assess its carbon footprint and reduce its emissions (or compensate for them).
For companies , we rather speak of a "carbon footprint", a specific tool developed by ADEME (Ecological Transition Agency). This carbon footprint allows us to calculate the company's footprint by measuring its direct and indirect emissions.
In France, since the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, companies with more than 500 employees must carry out a carbon audit. In addition, all organizations must declare it and make public their impact and investment strategy. This investment strategy must take into account the national low-carbon plan decided by the government.
So what is the carbon footprint for?
Whether it is a company, a country or an individual, assessing its carbon footprint is the first necessary step in combating global warming . The objective is to identify the positions that emit the most greenhouse gases in order to develop strategies and take measures to change certain processes or habits, with a view to reducing these emissions. This approach makes it possible to assess the urgency to change, to seek new solutions that will have less impact on the environment. This calculation
What is carbon offsetting?
For a company, carbon offsetting (or carbon contribution) consists of committing to a project on the ground that will have a positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions: either by reducing them or by “sequestering” them.
Indeed, greenhouse gases impact the climate in the same way, regardless of their geographical area of emission. Each eligible company (specific industries) has a certain number of personalized "carbon credits", determined according to its potential CO2 emissions. If the company succeeds in reducing its emissions, it can resell these credits on the "carbon market" where 1 tonne of CO2 equivalent reduced or sequestered (i.e. CO2 that is stored instead of being released into the atmosphere) not emitted is equivalent to 1 carbon credit.
So, a French company can invest in a tree planting project for example, even on the other side of the world, and this can be counted in its favor: its positive impact can be converted into carbon credits.
Thanks to its credits, the company can then fulfill certain ecological obligations. These ecological obligations are valued as part of a policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but cannot be sufficient on their own, nor can they replace the overall approach to reducing emissions.
This is how what is called "carbon finance" was created, which sets up, controls and accounts for all these approaches. These are all project developers, specialized organizations and labels that must intervene.
While this notion of carbon offsetting may seem a little hypocritical, it is not enough to justify an ecological strategy. But the creation of carbon credits makes it possible to generate other ecological and social benefits, where the projects are implemented.
Calculate your personal carbon footprint
If you are interested in trying this exercise, you should know that a large number of free calculators are available online. They mainly take into account the following GHG emission items:
- daily travel by all means of transport, as well as rarer travel such as air travel
- the characteristics of the household, its inhabitants, its size, water and waste treatment
- the energy used (gas, fuel oil, electricity, etc.) involving information on the type of heating, but also the insulation or even household appliances, machines, electronic devices, etc.
- consumption including food, clothing, medicines consumed, beauty products, furniture, etc.
As an indication, the Ministry of Ecological Transition estimated the carbon footprint of a French person at 11.2 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emitted into the atmosphere per year (including 8 tonnes of CO2), of which at least 85% comes from consumption! That is to say, what an individual pays directly.
The rest is indirect, coming from the operation of public services that the French citizen uses. What is little known is that housing weighs little in the balance because, in France, nearly 90% of electricity production is said to be "decarbonized", that is to say that electricity does not come from fossil fuels but from renewable energies (hydroelectric, solar, wind turbines), or nuclear, which produce very little CO2.
Carbon footprint VS ecological footprint
The concept of carbon footprint is sometimes confused with that of ecological footprint.
The carbon component of the ecological footprint goes beyond this definition. It indicates the amount of forest area that will be needed to sequester carbon dioxide emissions. This indicator represents the impact that the combustion of fossil resources has on the planet.
This carbon footprint, which represents half of the ecological footprint of all humanity, must be reduced in order to combat this overconsumption.
The ecological footprint, of which CO2 is only one component, covers a broader spectrum. It is expressed in terms of the surface area of productive land required to produce the goods and services we consume and absorb the resulting waste. Its most telling assessment – and commonly used in the media – is expressed in terms of the number of planets needed to absorb our consumption patterns. This makes it possible to compare the lifestyles of citizens (from one country to another, for example) and to more easily understand the lifestyle to adopt in order to respect the renewal of our earth's natural resources.
Hidden footprint and carbon footprint
Beyond the carbon footprint, we can also look at life cycle analysis, that is, going back even further in the chain of responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions and taking into account the rest of the impacts of our consumption on the
Planet. That is, the resources needed to produce what we consume, in the broad sense.
There are no really defined criteria because what we are trying to evaluate with the ecological footprint is the pressure that man exerts on the environment.
Unfortunately, this assessment will always be below reality because although it takes into account the impact of using the product, it does not assess the entire invisible part of the iceberg: the hidden resources that were used during design, such as the water required, or the impact of the product on biodiversity or air pollution, for example, or the impact of waste produced downstream of use.
Yet these hidden resources represent more than 75% of the environmental impact
of a product over its entire life cycle!
France's carbon footprint
There is a tool to measure France's impact, the National Inventory. But the latter only takes into account the impact on the place of production, that is to say for what is made in France. By using it, it is easy as a country to avoid responsibility by having production (and therefore) polluting elsewhere. Conversely, the carbon footprint which takes into account the place of final consumption, and not of production, offers a much fairer analysis.
Applied to a country, the carbon footprint thus prevents people from passing the buck to their neighbours by congratulating themselves on a drop in emissions... when they are importing! By integrating the GHG emissions resulting from the complete life cycle, including production and transport, the carbon footprint is a much more realistic indicator, which prevents the classic bias of relocating production and importing, in good conscience.
This is why the carbon footprint is now recognized, particularly since the Paris Agreements. This carbon footprint also makes it possible to assess the ecological pressure exerted by one importing country on another and to give a more equitable vision between developed and developing countries.
As you can see, the carbon footprint is an essential lever to help nations make their transition and thus become more virtuous, or less
