Carbon footprint: the stepping stone towards a carbon neutral world

Climate change is recognized as a major challenge today. The Green House Gas Emission has negative impact on the climate and the environment. Carbon dioxide is the main Green House Gas Emitted by human’s activity. Clearly, the industrial sector has a huge role to play in this increase of GHG emissions since industrialization. That is the reason that we see that industries are under pressure from the government as well as the public to green their activity and reduce emissions.

Because of increasing pressure and concerns about the global warming, climate change and carbon emissions issue private sector is now pursuing estimate of their GHG emissions also called as carbon footprint. They are also investing in projects that reduce GHG emissions.

Due to the increasing awareness about global warming climate change and melting ice caps, governments, industries as well as individuals are gradually trying to reduce the GHG emissions and estimate the carbon footprint and try to become carbon neutral. Stakeholders now understand the need to reduce GHG emissions so that the threat of global warming and climate change can be thwarted. If carbon neutrality is practised by the private sector then the Paris agreement targets can easily be achieved.

Companies are now conscious of their actions, and many industries are working on to minimize their environmental impact. ‘Carbon footprint’ has become a well-known concept and is at the centre of public debate on climate change mitigation action and also on adaptation.

Carbon Footprint is the process of calculating certain amounts of gaseous emissions associated with climate change, human production or consumption activities. There are different types of carbon footprint, such as corporate carbon footprint, carbon footprint of a product or an event, carbon footprint of a service or a community/city etc.

Carbon footprint from the organization and products are the most frequent types of carbon footprint. The total carbon footprint from the organization is n the direct and indirect emission from all the activities across its organization. Once the carbon footprint is assessed, efforts to reduce the emissions are required and the emissions that can not be reduced should be offset in order to become carbon neutral. Carbon neutrality is the balance of GHG emissions, the emissions that happen must also be reduced directly or indirectly.

Direct emissions are those that arise from the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles or equipment owned by the organization as well as escaped greenhouse gases from the organization’s facilities.

Indirect emissions are those which are derived from the energy used by the organization’s activities, such as electricity consumption. A product’s carbon footprint calculates all the emissions associated with the production of that product. This includes the sourcing and processing of the raw materials transporting it to the manufacturing facility and then delivering to customers, its end use and disposal etc. After calculating their carbon footprint, organizations and individuals can understand what their impact on the environment is and how they can find ways to reduce that impact.

GE3S has been assessing carbon footprint of companies for decades now, we have also helped companies become carbon neutral Carbon neutrality is the future for all.