Carbon footprint: what is it?
With this article we inaugurate a series of posts dedicated to air pollution in terms of civil and industrial emissions. A better relationship with the planet starts from us, from our awareness. That's why we decided to start with the concept of carbon footprint or "carbon footprint" , to underline how everyone is at the forefront of responsibility towards the environment, since each of us inevitably leaves our footprint on the planet.
What is the carbon footprint
The carbon footprint , literally carbon footprint , is a parameter established to estimate the greenhouse gas emissions generated by a product, a service, an organization, an event or an individual, and is generally expressed in tons of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e). What does it mean?
According to the Kyoto Protocol, the greenhouse gases to be included in the calculation are: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs). The tons of CO2 equivalent are therefore nothing more than the equivalent in CO2, set equal to 1, of the greenhouse effect produced by these gases. Let's take an example.
Methane has a greenhouse effect approximately 25 times greater than CO2, so one ton of methane will be counted as 25 tons of CO2 equivalent.
But let's take a step back: what is CO2?
carbon dioxide (CO2) occurs naturally in the atmosphere , and is probably the best known of the greenhouse gases. Made up of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms, its natural concentration in the air is around 400 ppm, and is the result of natural processes such as the breathing cycle, or combustion activities .
The carbon footprint: product, company, service
The carbon footprint of product/service considers the overall emissions relating to the entire life, “from the cradle to the grave” , of the product/service taken into consideration. As far as an organization is concerned, we are referring instead to emissions during the annual business year. But what exactly does “from the cradle to the grave” mean? Let's delve deeper into this concept which better than others can give us an idea of the environmental impact of our activities.
When you buy a product have you ever wondered about its history? Have you ever wondered, for example, where exactly its origin should be located? Well, we are all aware of the "Made in" label, therefore quite naturally we are led to think that the product is born in the manufacturing company and from there the counting of its carbon footprint . In reality this is not the case, the emissions of a product begin with the extraction/production of the raw materials necessary for its manufacture (this also includes energy).
The life cycle of a product/service, of which we normally only know the "use" phase, is divided into five phases : raw materials, transformation, product packaging/transport, use, disposal.
This gives us a more precise idea of what the real life of a product is, which is well beyond our use and consumption. Even if it is immediate to think of physical products when talking about emissions and pollution, it should be kept in mind that digital services are also part of this chain . Do you know, for example, how much video streaming pollutes? Any ideas? Over 300 million tons of CO2 ! Just think that watching 10 minutes of video streaming consumes 1500 times more electricity than charging a smartphone .
How are emissions calculated?
The way CO2 emissions are calculated relating to a product/service is uniquely regulated by the technical specification ISO 14067 – “ Greenhouse gases - Carbon footprint of products - Requirements and guidelines for quantification and Communication ”.
As far as organizations are concerned, however the UNI EN ISO 14064-1 standard applies (" Greenhouse gases – Part 1: Specification for the quantification, monitoring and reporting of project emissions and removals ”), which represents the first of the 3 standards of the ISO 14064 series aimed at the quantification and reporting, reduction and absorption, validation and verification of assertions relating to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
Companies, therefore, in addition to conducting an analysis and measurement of regulated CO2 emissions, can implement a system aimed at identifying and implementation of emissions reduction interventions through the use of low carbon technologies , and/or measures for the neutralization of emissions ( carbon neutrality ), such as tree planting, renewable energy production, etc. 1
1. Source Ministry of Ecological Transition: https://www.minambiente.it/pagina/cose-la-carbon-footprint
Carbon footprint: why it concerns everyone
At first glance it would seem that the responsibility for decarbonisation lies entirely with companies, in reality, all of us are involved , as both recipients and requesters of products and services.
Furthermore, we can talk about a real carbon footprint of the individual, who with his lifestyle habits contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases. How do we get around? How and when do we use lighting, heating, etc? What products do we buy?
The questions could continue. Becoming aware of the impact of our actions is already a first step towards a change in habits.
With next posts we will then delve deeper into some issues related to heating and emissions that can help us make more accurate and possibly to reduce our carbon footprint .