Noelia Sánchez, c Environmental Area Bureau Veritas Training .
The consequences of climate change on our planet are becoming more and more evident every day , and initiatives to combat it are becoming increasingly important. One of the basic tools for controlling it is calculating the carbon footprint, according to various internationally recognised protocols.
One of the main causes of climate change is the high emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). In this sense, the Carbon Footprint is defined as the totality of GHG emitted by the direct or indirect effect of an individual, organization, event or product. This measurement is carried out from the extraction and obtaining of raw materials for the manufacture of a product, until it reaches the consumer and is disposed of.
There are three types of carbon footprint : carbon footprint of products , events and an organization .
The carbon footprint of products is the calculation or student data quantification of the GHGs generated in the manufacture and/or development of a given product . To calculate it, emissions are determined through a life cycle analysis of the product. It can be calculated using the PAS 2050 or ISO/TS 14067 standards.
The carbon footprint of events is the amount of GHG generated due to the use of electricity, transportation of attendees, or food preparation , among other sources of emissions generated during the planning and execution of an event. For its calculation, the GHG Protocol standards or the ISO 14064-1 standard can be used.
The carbon footprint of an organization is the calculation or quantification of the GHGs produced by an organization as a whole , in order to produce its products or develop its services. Direct, indirect and involved emissions are quantified for a given year. To calculate the carbon footprint of an organization, the same standards can be used as for calculating the carbon footprint of events, i.e. the GHG Protocol or the ISO 14064-1 standard .
By calculating the carbon footprint, all sources of GHG emissions are identified and reduction targets and measures can be defined through the use of more effective energy sources . In addition, carrying out these measurements allows adaptation to legislative changes associated with international agreements to combat climate change.
International agreements
In December 2015, the Climate Summit was held in Paris , which ended with a global agreement to combat climate change. The main objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to contain global warming and to ensure that the increase in average temperature does not exceed 2ºC by the end of the century , thus continuing the Kyoto Protocol. This Paris Agreement was ratified at COP22 held in Marrakech in November 2016.