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1. A basic approach to carbon footprinting
For most organisations, calculating a basic carbon footprint can be quick and easy. A basic footprint is likely to cover direct emissions and emissions from electricity as these are the simplest to manage, but exclude some of the indirect emissions.
There are usually a handful of major emissions sources that must be calculated, including:
- Onsite fuel usage
- Onsite electricity usage
- Use of transport which you own.
To get the key information to calculate a basic carbon footprint, collect data from all utility meters and record the distances travelled by the organisation’s vehicles. Convert the fuel, electricity and transport consumption figures to CO2 by using the standard emissions factors, which are published by Defra:
For example
Fuel for energy:
Gas used: 10,000 m3
Defra carbon emission factors: 0.206 kgCO2/kWh
To convert m3 to kWh: x 11
CO2 from Gas = 10,000 x 11 x 0.185 = 20,350 kgCO2
Once the basic carbon footprint has been established, it is then possible to take steps to manage and reduce the emissions.
For an indication of your carbon emissions, use our online tools:
Now read Using a footprint for carbon management
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