How To Measure Carbon Footprint of a Company (Business Carbon Calculator)

How Does the Company Carbon Footprint Calculator Work?

A company’s carbon footprint calculator works the same way as any other carbon calculator, given that the software accurately generates the total emissions.

However, there is a slight difference in the details the user enters.

You have to provide the type of business and the industry it is under, the number of employees, the number of buildings on the premises, the total electricity cost, and other related information.

All of these factors influence the company carbon footprint.

Should Small Firms Also Know How To Measure Carbon Footprint of a Company?

Many believe that carbon footprint audits and offsets are only for large corporations, but small businesses also contribute to emissions. Besides, some small-scale corporations may sometimes emit more GHG, unlike larger companies based on the nature of operations.

Therefore, if you own a small start-up, you can still participate by using carbon footprint calculation and looking for offset programs.

Emissions, however small, also contribute to climate change.

Why Is It Important To Calculate the Carbon Footprint of a Company?

Calculating, auditing, and reducing a company’s carbon footprint is crucial to help any corporation actively participate in climate action.

Besides, it is a recommendation by major government stakeholders for all companies to meet the regulations and reduce their carbon footprints.

Large and small businesses can alter their daily activities and engage in carbon offset programs to help reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere. It starts with calculating the footprint, developing ways to reduce the emissions, and finally getting involved in carbon offset programs.

How To Measure Carbon Footprint of a Product

All human activities have a carbon footprint, including the goods and services you buy directly and indirectly. Companies creating products are also responsible for climate change, and as a business owner, you want to know if your products impact the environment.

The following are critical features of your goods if you want to know how to measure the carbon footprint of a company.

Calculating Carbon Footprint for Students: How Students Can Participate?

Teachers conscious about the environment can bring their students on board to fight for climate justice. Thanks to the carbon footprint calculator for students, it is easy for the young generation to account for their carbon emissions and come up with lifestyle alterations that protect the planet.

Students worldwide can actively participate in challenges and closely examine how their activities impact the environment.⁸ The websites feature real-life examples and data that are great conversation and discussion starters about climate change.

The tools are free and in line with various curricula, ideal for any student. The goal is to inspire the youth to take a stand in matters of global warming and find ways to reduce their carbon emissions.

What Is the Average Carbon Footprint per Employee?

The total annual emissions of an employee working in an office setup are 3 tons CO₂eq, but the numbers are higher in Europe at 3.6 tons.⁵ This value considers the water and energy consumption and the carbon emissions from business trips.

The estimations are that each employee accounts for 0.1 tons of water and paper, 1.1 tons of energy, and 1.8 tons on trips. The employee’s emissions also contribute to a company’s carbon footprint, not only those from the manufacturing activities.

How To Assess the Carbon Footprint of an Office Worker

One essential step in how to measure the carbon footprint of a company is to feature the scope 3 emissions, which include the employees. Their commuting, traveling for business, and how they manage waste are considerable contributors to the office’s footprint.

38% of US emissions are from transportation, mainly air travel and the use of gas-powered cars. If the company is in a remote area where employees must drive to work, the carbon footprint will be higher.

The rate differs for companies in highly-populated cities where employees bike, walk or use public transport.

To make accurate analyses of a worker’s carbon footprint and, in turn, account for the business scope emissions,⁷ you can consider the following aspects.

• Determine the total number of employees in the office
• What percentage of them work remotely (from home)
• Are there part-time employees who work fewer hours than permanent workers?
• Divide the employees according to the office location
• If possible, conduct a survey to determine how the employees travel to work (car, train, bus, bicycle, etc.)
• Deploy the ideal emission factor and calculate the total carbon emissions

Carbon Footprint Audit: How It Helps With How To Measure Carbon Footprint of a Company

If you are uncertain of how to measure the carbon footprint of a company, you can hire consultants to help with the carbon footprint audit. The report determines all the aspects of the business that cause harmful emissions to help the stakeholders chart a way forward.

Accurate analysis of the activities leading to a high carbon footprint makes it easier to establish measures to reduce GHG levels. The areas include energy usage, travel expenses, fuel consumption, employee footprint, and several others.

A detailed and accurate audit report for each business can help identify emitters and allow the company to adjust its operations or develop strategies to reduce its carbon footprint. It is also critical documentation for consumers to help them understand what transacting with the company means for the environment.

What Is the Average Carbon Footprint per Person by Country?

Each country has contributed to the gas emissions. Most emissions recorded are from companies but have you ever wondered about the average carbon footprint per person in each country and how it impacted our environment?

Therefore, we must take action to combat climate change in any way possible.

Below is a table showing the average carbon footprint per country. Carbon Footprint by Country 2020.¹¹

Country	Carbon Emissions per Capita
Palau	55.29
Qatar	35.64
Trinidad and Tobago	21.97
Bahrain	21.60
Kuwait	20.91
UAE	20.70
Saudi Arabia	16.96
Oman	16.90
Australia	15.22
Canada	14.43

Country	Carbon Emissions per Capita
Kazakhstan	14.22
United States	13.68
Turkmenistan	13.37
Luxembourg	13.24
South Korea	12.07
Falkland Islands	10.09
Mongolia	11.91
Russia	11.64
Estonia	11.05
Czech Republic	8.66

Country	Carbon Emissions per Capita
Netherlands	8.42
Japan	8.39
Greenland	8.34
Serbia	8.31
Montenegro	8.31
Iran	8.26
China	8.2
Malaysia	7.98
Libya	7.9
Norway	7.74

Country	Carbon Emissions per Capita
Germany	7.72
Bulgaria	7.71
South Africa	7.41
Finland	7.29
Austria	7.25
New Zealand	6.83
Bosnia and Herzegovina	6.70
Ireland	6.68
Slovenia	6.62
Belarus	6.26

Country	Carbon Emissions per Capita
Slovakia	5.85
Laos	5.84
Bulgaria	5.48
Cyprus	5.19
Hungary	5.14
Greece	5.06
Italy	5.03
Turkey	4.83
Lithuania	4.75
Bahamas	4.64

Country	Carbon Emissions per Capita
United Kingdom	4.66
Spain	4.62
Chile	4.58
Denmark	4.43
Ukraine	4.34
Croatia	4.30
France	4.26
Sweden	4.18
Switzerland	4.07
Latvia	3.93

Country	Carbon Emissions per Capita
Romania	3.91
Argentina	3.88
Algeria	3.77
Thailand	3.68
Azerbaijan	3.36
Vietnam	3.27
Botswana	2.92
Suriname	2.88
Gabon	2.76
Uzbekistan	2.72

Country	Carbon Emissions per Capita
Jamaica	2.71
Venezuela	2.68
Georgia	2.68
Egypt	2.62
Jordan	2.59
French Guiana	2.50
Tunisia	2.40
Brazil	2.11
Indonesia	2.09

Examples of Companies That Measure Carbon Footprint: How To Measure Carbon Footprint of a Company

Assessing the total carbon emissions of a company can be tasking, especially when it’s a large corporation with hundreds of employees.

The best way to do a carbon audit is to contact companies in the business with experience handling such tasks.

Many organizations help businesses review their carbon footprint and recommend effective offsets. They help you account for your company’s emissions from various aspects like air travel, commuting, shipping, etc.

The second step is to help you develop a monthly tree planting carbon offset plan that is special for your business and will be the most effective based on the industry. The last stage is to devise offsets to help reduce GHG and produce clean energy.

Carbon Footprint Standard: Which One To Use

To tackle the climate crisis, stakeholders had to devise methodologies to ensure that companies check on their carbon footprints. Stakeholders established standards to make the processes more transparent and classified the result into two groups.

Group 1 focuses on emissions directly related to climate change, while group 2 methodologies handle environmental issues at large, including aspects of climate change.

The emphasis on PCFs (Product Carbon Footprint) in group 2 and the increased efforts to check companies’ carbon footprints have been practical. Still, the several standards to follow can be overwhelming, and you must pick an effective and sustainable one.

The ultimate step when choosing the ideal carbon footprint standard is to identify your company’s goals. Do you need it for public reporting? Do you want it to be in line with legislative requirements?

Answering these questions can help you narrow down to a particular methodology.

How To Calculate Carbon Footprint Manually for Your Company

Knowing how to measure the carbon footprint of a company is the primary step in determining how running it impacts the planet and drives the stakeholders to find ways to tackle it.

You can seek services from third-party organizations, hire consultants, or do the entire process manually.

Determining a business’s carbon footprint is pretty simple; you only have to find the activities causing the emissions and multiply them with the particular emission factor,⁹ but several working methods tie to the laid-out standards.

Carbon footprint= data from the activity x emission factor

Here, the data you use means the readings from various GHG-emitting activities. Before you get to the final calculation, some vital steps may help.

First, pick the year for the computations, determine the operational limits, then collect the consumption data. After analyses, you can now prepare reduction plans based on the findings.

Carbon Audit Process: Steps and Types of Audits

Since companies aim for carbon neutrality and are working relentlessly to reduce their carbon footprints, it is common for them to compile and publish their carbon footprints.

Such documents are vital records from organizations in line with the GHG protocols and related standards.

There are five audit types if you hire a consultant to create your carbon footprint audit.¹

• The NoCO₂ is for organizations that want to go carbon neutral, involving analyzing all the possible aspects causing emissions.
• LowCO₂ is manageable for companies that cannot go carbon neutral, given their nature of operations.
• Product life-cycle inventory analyzes how a company’s manufacturing and product delivery affects the environment.
• Event assessment checks how much carbon is released into the atmosphere during running events.
• Customized services are special audits for unique businesses that need a unique look at some particular factors that cause emissions.

What Are the Benefits of Carbon Footprinting?

Every business person knows that waste derails a company’s operations. Thanks to carbon footprint audits, firms can pinpoint waste sources and find ways to reduce them and lower operational costs.

There won’t be more energy or material loss throughout the manufacturing process. Additionally, company relations with the public have changed.

Now, consumers value the quality of goods and services and check if the business adversely affects the environment.²

Measuring the carbon footprint is not only for large corporations but for any business owner mindful of the environment. Besides, the computation usually involves data already in the company’s possession, like bills and expenses; therefore, carbon auditing doesn’t have to be expensive.

Related Reading: What Are the Top Carbon Offset Providers?

Advantages of Calculating Your Carbon Footprint

If your company is yet to start calculating its carbon footprint, the following upsides may help change your mind.

Reduced OPEX

When you measure your business’s carbon footprint, you can quickly identify whether you are funding unnecessary activities, which may save you a lot of money in the long run.⁴ Converting to clean energy, recycling, and making other changes may also increase the company’s profit margin.

Increased Brand Loyalty

Customers are usually loyal to ethical businesses and those that show environmental responsibility. Instead, they buy from eco-friendly companies and don’t mind paying more.

Adherence To Trade Regulations

The Paris Agreement in 2015 steered the EU’s plans to reduce GHG emissions and establish policies to regulate companies’ carbon footprint.¹⁰ Therefore, following these regulations is not only kind to the planet, but you will also meet worldwide trading regulations.

Commitment From Employees and Stakeholders

Employees and investors prefer working with eco-friendly companies, and commitment to sustainable activities creates an excellent working environment for all parties involved.

Kindness to the Environment

The primary reason for a company to check and reduce its carbon footprint is because it is the best thing to do for the planet and is a small step towards achieving countries’ climate goals.

How To Become Carbon Neutral Business: Steps To Take as a Company

A common question for people who are into business and also the green movement is how to become carbon neutral. Some business owners believe it is impossible to achieve carbon neutrality, but in reality, it only takes a few steps.

First and most importantly, you need to know how to measure the carbon footprint of a company.

Next, with the data in hand, it becomes easier to set up ways to reduce the organization’s carbon footprint. It also helps to offset the remaining emissions by participating in environmental programs that help reduce GHGs.

Doing these gets you a step ahead to gaining carbon neutrality accreditation, and finally, you can publicize your milestone on various platforms like social media. You can announce it on your company website or find multiple ways to reach your customers and potential clients.

You may own a small or large corporation and wonder how to become carbon neutral business. It only takes a few steps, and you will gradually be on your way to certification.

First, you should know how to measure the carbon footprint of a company using a business carbon calculator. Next, find ways to reduce the carbon footprint from various company activities, from manufacturing, air travel, commuting, product shipping, and other tasks leading to GHG emissions.

Lastly, you can engage in carbon offset programs like the Fashion Forward Hero Carbon Offset for businesses in the fashion industry to help fund projects that support climate justice.

Gradually, your company will receive carbon-neutral certification, and you will simultaneously be protecting the environment. Therefore, by learning how to measure carbon footprint of a company, you can easily obtain net-zero emissions and contribute to the well-being of the planet.

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Measure Carbon Footprint of a Company