by Caroline Rennie
They’re both embedded: journalists in the army, carbon in … everything. When you calculate your company or product’s CO2 impact, you’re not just counting what you added – you’re counting the embodied impacts – the energy used and CO2 released when the materials were made, distributed, manufactured into products, used and even discarded.
Its like the VAT (value added tax). At each step in the chain value is added, and with it – energy, possibly other materials, etc. Everything that adds energy or materials, comes with a load of carbon. So you take the carbon load of the product entering your operations, add your contribution, and pass it on.
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending upon your perspective, our environmental accounting hasn’t quite got to that level. Instead, assumptions are made in general about quantity and sources of CO2 ‘embodied’ in a product – like a tonne of a particular type of plastic. So the numbers are broad assumptions, useful to gauge the difference between, for example, the use of one material and another for a particular product.
The science of measuring everything
While it may be possible for a company to do all the measuring itself, the wealth of data to collect is huge, and the need for the results to be credible, equally great. Consequently, it is more credible, faster, and less expensive to work with companies that have databases with such information, as well as the methodologies to infer results. Most are profit-making, though Greg Norris, a lecturer at Harvard University and a professor at the University of Arkansas, is developing Earthster, an open-source software system that conducts life cycle assessments- measuring carbon and also other environmental impacts.
What do the databases contain?
- All greenhouse gasses – measured as “CO2 equivalents”; for example, methane is usually calculated to be around 21 times more potent than CO2.
- energy use in particular countries by type and proportion (e.g. in France energy is largely nuclear; in Switzerland largely hydro)
- Carbon associated with the energy (e.g. renewables don’t add carbon, fossil fuels add a lot, and nuclear has the emissions associated with mining uranium and transport… as you can see, the figures are complicated – but the assumptions will at least be clear).
- Carbon associated with, for example, the fertiliser used in farming, or the energy associated with mining and refining;
- typical transportation vehicles, load weights, fuels and consequent CO2 emissions;
- carbon associated with extraction/harvesting of raw materials (and packaging); processing; manufacture; transport; use and disposal/recycling.
Some companies are already using the results publicly: in the UK, Walker’s crisps (potato chips), Tropicana, Innocent Drinks and even the retailer Tesco, have gone public with the carbon associated with particular products. Others are using their carbon profile as a competitive tool in discussion with retailers – many of whom are insisting their supply chain continuously and significantly lower their carbon impact.
Government is perking up its ears
Recognising the need to make big changes throughout society to meet scientist’s recommendations on carbon reduction, government is looking at ways to harness this information. Extended producer responsibility for waste products is working well. And now – they’re looking at using the same tools for reducing carbon. As a first step in preparation – know your carbon footprint: you’ll only be able to manage it once it’s measured.
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