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The full footprint of an organisation encompasses a wide range of emissions sources, from direct use of fuels to indirect impacts such as employee travel or emissions from other organisations within the supply chain.
A common classification method (1) is to group GHG emissions by the level of control an organisation has over them. On this basis, there are three main types of GHG classification:
- Direct emissions that result from activities the organisation controls
For example via the on site combustion of fuels, emission of gases during operation, production and manufacture, and running of a vehicle fleet
- Emissions from electricity usage
For example for lighting, heating, and powering of equipment. Although the organisation is not directly in control of the emissions, by using the electricity it is indirectly responsible for the release of CO2.
- Indirect emissions from products and services that the organisation does not directly control
For example, a company that manufactures a product is indirectly responsible for the carbon that is emitted in the preparation and transport of the raw materials.
Producing a full footprint covering all three types of emissions can be quite a complex task; and there is currently lack of consistency in methods for calculation and reporting that mean it can be difficult to compare published footprints.
For an indication of your carbon emissions, use our online tools:
Now read Why calculate a carbon footprint?
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