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CO2 emissions by sector of activity
The COP 21 in Paris resulted in an international climate agreement in 2015, applicable to all countries, aiming to limit global warming to between 1.5°C and 2°C by 2100, which implies achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. If this objective is to be achieved, the players in the various sectors must act now to reduce their carbon footprint.
The challenge is immense and promises alone will not be enough. Globally , we must reduce GHG emissions byat least 45% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible to stabilize the climate.
The fight against global warming concerns us all (citizens, consumers...), so we are all concerned by the achievement of this objective, however, 80% of the efforts to achieve it are the responsibility of States and companies.
The reduction ofCO2 emissions is a priority: a decree linked to the 2021 Finance Law seriously lowers the threshold for companies that must produce a balance sheet of their GHG emissions, and commit to corrective and remedial measures.
There is no doubt about it: the carbon footprint is becoming the mandatory indicator of the ecological transition and the sustainability of all companies.
Not only does such an assessment allow for a serious accounting of all the greenhouse gas emissions of an organization, it also allows for the identification of levers to reduce emissions in an efficient way to improve the energy performance of an organization. Thus, a so-called polluting company that invests in the realization of a balance sheet and in the application of a plan to mitigate its emissions can, if it starts the process today, become carbon neutral by 2050.
To be effective, the carbon footprint must take into account the company's sector of activity
Today, more and more managers are interested in their environmental footprint, either out of ecological concern or out of concern for compliance with current and future regulations.
The only effective way to measure the carbon footprint of a company is to carry out an annual GHG assessment that takes into account the quantity of CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions produced by its sector of activity (industry, services, local authorities, food industry, real estate, logistics, events, sports, etc.).
In order to reduce global emissions, all actors in the various sectors are thus called upon to carry out a complete assessment of their greenhouse gas emissions.
Carrying out a GHG assessment in the primary sector: agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining, deposits
This sector is the first to be impacted by global warming and could therefore benefit from the reduction of emissions, including its own. Agriculture and the agri-food industry are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Reducing global emissions must therefore be an integral part of their development strategy.
Agriculture is the 2nd largest national emission source. However, it has the particularity of being both an emitter and a collector of greenhouse gases thanks to photosynthesis.
However, given its weight in global emissions, agriculture is called upon to contribute to the general effort to reduce GHG emissions and to achieve the objectives set at the national and international levels.
Controlling net greenhouse gas emissions is therefore a major objective in limiting climate change.
Beyond the environmental benefit that may not echo the aspirations and priorities of some company managers, the realization of a carbon footprint allows to reduce costs and improve economic performance!
Carry out a GHG assessment in the secondary sector: manufacturing industry, construction
These companies, which transform materials, operate complex processes, produce manufactured goods, are at the heart of a globalized logistics system, and rely on long-term investors. Thus, industrial players and their financiers are directly concerned by the anticipation of climate change and the construction of a low-carbon economy.
In addition, the industry is facing increasingly strict environmental regulations with the strengthening of emission quotas decided in July 2021 by the European Union. These quotas, if not respected, force manufacturers to buy "rights to pollute" on the European carbon market, whose prices are growing exponentially (300€/tCo2e expected in 2040).
The benefits of a GHG assessment are not limited to the environment. The realization of a carbon footprint allows to reduction of costs and to improve the economic performance of a company.
Carrying out a GHG assessment in the tertiary sector: commerce, administration, transport, financial and real estate activities, services to companies and individuals, education, health and social action.
In 2017, emissions from housing and tertiary sector buildings (offices, shops, educational facilities, health care facilities, cultural and sports facilities, restaurants and hotels) were 58 Mt CO2e and 34 Mt CO2e respectively.
The main emissions came from energy consumption, particularly fossil fuels. Improved energy efficiency and the use of less carbon-intensive energy (electricity instead of fuel oil) are the two immediate approaches to reducing emissions.
The transport sector represents the main share of GHG emissions in France. Reductions have always been implemented in this sector: modification of the energy used, modal shift or improvement of the logistics chain.
Carrying out a GHG assessment enables every company to take a rational view of its impact on the environment, with multiple benefits such as limiting its impact on the environment, improving its economic performance and corporate image, and raising stakeholder awareness. Combating global warming by reducing and limiting emissions therefore offers more benefits than constraints.
GCI knows how to suggest the best way to get there.
To launch out in this calculation sometimes intimidates, by lack of information, or by bad information on the represented difficulty!
The GCI platform was created to remove these obstacles. Designed to meet the expectations of companies in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors, it answers general questions on the climate and economic imperatives to be taken into account, provides the information necessary to understand the fundamentals of the principles of calculating the Carbon Footprint, and offers to carry out independently, thanks to its ergonomics and its rich online help (tutorials, videos, FAQ, ...) a complete balance, compliant and immediately followed by proposals for action plan reduction.
The GCI calculator is easy to use, with its optimized customer pathway and online support. It is also 100% customizable, making it easier to produce a report that is as close as possible to the company's specific sector of activity, which is a guarantee of efficiency in determining actions to reduce its emissions.
The client path has been designed to make the data entry process more fluid and to optimize the time required to complete the carbon footprint. Whether it is the first assessment or not, the user is always guided to complete his or her full assessment in a comfortable manner and in accordance with the sector of activity .
Divided into several steps, which scenario the company's activity, the user path allows the serene accounting of all greenhouse gas emissions.
At any time, you can consult online help and advice (including video tutorials), print out supports or questionnaires to share them within the company, be guided at each step, or even be personally accompanied by a carbon assessment expert.
After the creation of an account, the first step in the realization of a GHG assessment will be to designate the activity of the company. About twenty proposals are available that will help in the choice (industry, services, community, agribusiness, real estate, logistics, events, sports, ...).
The chosen questionnaire can be customized by adding or deleting questions according to the company's specific activity. It is divided into sections according to an intuitive approach and allows data entry within 7 emission categories that cover all the regulatory emission items of the GHG Balance: energy, other direct emissions excluding energy, assets, travel, incoming materials and services as well as waste and products sold.
A predetermined but evolving questionnaire
To make your carbon footprint, the calculator provides access to a questionnaire predetermined according to your sector of activity. These questions have been precisely chosen to correspond to the selected sector. However, as mentioned above, GCI also offers the possibility for the company or the community to customize these models in order to adapt them and make them their own.
Thus, depending on the nature of the organization's activity, the user will also be able to quantify the GHG emissions of specific items that were not directly included in the original questionnaire. Once the questionnaire template is customized, it replaces the one proposed by default.
The user can also share it (export it) with other collaborators and/or reuse it for future carbon footprint reports of his organization.
This will allow the company to determine the emitting points that are appropriate for it. Thereafter, it will be able to develop an action plan to reduce its specific items and thus minimize its emissions to achieve its carbon objectives.
The fight against climate change does not have a single solution but must be adapted to each individual. For some people, reducing their environmental impact will mean switching to renewable energies; for others, it will mean purchasing carbon-free products. Thus, thanks to this evolving platform, each consumer will be able to adapt his or her objectives and reach more easily the carbon neutrality planned for 2050.
An evolving declaration
The activity data can be filled in several times, and can be modified up to 12 months after the creation of the declaration. Thus, as long as the declaration is not validated, it can be modified and can evolve to integrate more items and/or more precise data.
Once the data has been entered, the tool automatically divides the greenhouse gas emissions into the 23 regulatory items of the 3 emission scopes of the GHG assessment, according to the emission factors used.
The user can then consult the total GHG emissions and download his GHG report in Excel format at any time. They can then export it, if necessary, to ADEME's national server, which receives all the GHG assessments in France.
GCI provides the ideal tool to help all industries combat climate change. GCI allows everyone to identify where carbon emissions are high and helps you significantly reduce your emissions and energy costs. This will help you meet your reduction targets and the government's 2050 carbon neutrality goals.
To find out more, see the differences between Bilan Carbone and Bilan GES, the carbon footprint of local authorities and subsidies for carbon footprinting.
