How is carbon calculated?
The carbon footprint assesses the quantity of tons of CO₂e emitted by a company, product or individual. It helps to identify sources of energy consumption, reduce emissions and implement reduction strategies, while encouraging eco-responsible actions.
Why is it important? Beyond the fight against environmental change, good emissions monitoring enables French and international companies to optimize their costs and comply with current regulations. But how do you go about estimating emissions, and which tools should you use? This article provides a step-by-step guide.
1.1 Carbon and its role in climate
1.2 How are carbon emissions measured?
1.3 Categories of GHG emissions
1.4 Why is carbon measurement essential?
2. Why calculate your carbon footprint?
2.1 A key challenge for the low-carbon transition
2.2 The benefits of carbon calculation for companies
2.3 A lever for innovation and commitment
3. Reduce your carbon footprint after calculation
3.1 Defining an emissions reduction strategy
3.2 Concrete actions to reduce carbon footprint
3.3 Monitoring and continuous improvement of environmental performance
What is carbon?
Carbon is an element essential to life and present everywhere on Earth: in the atmosphere, oceans, soils and living organisms. It circulates naturally in the environment through the carbon cycle, but human activities have greatly increased the concentration of greenhouse gases, upsetting the climatic balance.
🌍 Carbon and its role in the climate
In the form of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) or nitrous oxide (N₂O), these gases contribute to thegreenhouse effect. This natural phenomenon maintains a temperature compatible with life on Earth. However, the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil), deforestation and intensive agriculture have considerably increased GHG emissions.
In France, the main sectors responsible for CO₂e emissions are :
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- Transportation (34% of GHGs)
- Industry and energy (17%)
- Residential and tertiary (11%)
- Agriculture (20%)
Reducing these emissions is a major challenge if we are to limit global warming and get the world moving.
🧮 How are carbon emissions measured?
Calculating emissions involves measuring the quantity of CO₂e (CO₂ equivalent) emitted by an activity, product or company. It is based on a basic formula:
- The activity represents a need (for energy, raw materials, etc.).
- The emission factor is a coefficient indicating the quantity of CO₂e emitted per unit of activity.
For example, for a company consuming 1,000 kWh of electricity, with an average emission factor of 0.06 kg CO₂e/kWh in France, the emissions will be:
📊 GHG emission categories
The GHG emissions inventory, commonly known as the carbon footprint, classifies emissions into three main categories, known as Scopes:
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- Scope 1: Direct emissions (e.g. gas combustion in a boiler, fuel used by a fleet of vehicles).
- Scope 2: Indirect emissions linked to energy needs (e.g. electricity, purchased heat).
- Scope 3: Other indirect emissions (e.g. manufacturing of purchased products, transport of goods, employee travel).
Scope 3 is often the largest part of a company's carbon footprint. However, it is also the most complex to measure, as it depends on a large number of players (suppliers, service providers, customers).
❓Why is it essential to measure carbon?
Calculating carbon enables us to assess the environmental impact of human actions and identify levers for reduction. For a company, a carbon analysis offers several advantages:
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- Lower costs by optimizing energy expenditure.
- Regulatory compliance with environmental obligations in France and Europe.3
- Improved image with customers and partners sensitive to climate issues.
By regularly monitoring its emissions, a company can take concrete action to accelerate its environmental transition and adopt a sustainable approach.
The 7 advantages of carrying out your company's GHG assessment.
Why calculate your carbon footprint?
🌱 A key challenge for the low-carbon transition
Global warming is a worldwide challenge, and every tonne of carbon emitted makes the problem worse. According to initial estimates from the Centre interprofessionnel technique d'études de la pollution atmosphérique (Citepa), greenhouse gases emitted in France reached 385 million tonnes CO₂e (MtCO₂e) in 2023, registering a 4.8% drop on 2022. The aim is to reduce these emissions by 55% by 2030, in line with the commitments made under the Paris Agreement.
In this context, measuring your carbon footprint allows you to :
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- Identify the main sources of emissions (travel, energy, production, waste, etc.).
- Implement targeted actions to reduce its environmental footprint.
- Track the progress of your efforts over time.
Whether you're a company, a local authority or an individual, this approach is essential if you want to play an active part in the fight against environmental change.
🏢 The benefits of carbon calculation for businesses
For companies, carrying out a greenhouse gas assessment offers a number of advantages, both economic and regulatory.
Cost reduction and resource optimization
By identifying the most energy-intensive consumption items, a company can :
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- Reduce energy bills by adopting more energy-efficient solutions (e.g. insulation, energy-saving equipment).
- Reduce dependence on fossil fuels and limit the impact of volatile oil and gas prices.
Compliance with environmental regulations
In France, certain companies are subject to legal obligations regarding their carbon footprint. For example:
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- Structures with more than 500 employees must carry out a GHG assessment every 4 years.
- The Extra-Financial Performance Declaration (EFPD ) requires large companies to publish information on their emissions, energy consumption and environmental impact.
Anticipating these requirements means avoiding penalties and being better prepared for future regulations.
Image enhancement and competitive advantage
More and more consumers and investors are choosing companies that are committed to the environment. Proper monitoring of emissions makes it possible to :
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- Reinforce the company's credibility and transparency.
- Attract new customers and partners sensitive to climate issues.
- Promote our efforts to reduce GHG emissions in our communications.
🚀 A lever for innovation and commitment
Calculating a company's carbon footprint is not just a regulatory requirement, it can also be a driver for innovation. By integratingcarbon footprinting into their strategy, some companies are developing new, more sustainable business models:
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- Circular economy (waste reduction, recycling, reuse of materials).
- The move towards renewable energies (solar, wind, biomass).
- Low-carbon mobility (electric vehicles, car-sharing solutions).
What's more, by involving employees in this approach, a company can foster a culture of commitment to the environment.
Calculating your carbon footprint is much more than a simple measurement. It's a strategic tool for anticipating future changes, reducing our ecological footprint and building a more resilient, sustainable business.
Reduce your carbon footprint after calculation
Once the balance sheet has been drawn up, the next step is to take action to reduce GHG emissions. This transition involves analyzing sources of impact, defining a reduction strategy and monitoring progress.
🗺️ Defining an emissions reduction strategy
Reducing ourcarbon footprint relies on three main levers:
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- Avoid: Eliminate or limit avoidable sources ofemissions (e.g. non-essential travel, unnecessary consumption).
- Reduce: Improve energy efficiency and reduce resource consumption.
- Offset: invest in projects that absorb carbon (e.g. reforestation, CO₂ capture).
In this way, a company can draw up an action plan prioritizing the most significant emission sources, generally identified through a carbon footprint.
🛠️ Concrete actions to reduce your carbon footprint
Depending on the business sector, different actions can be implemented:
⚡ Optimizing energy consumption
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- Improve building insulation to reduce heat loss.
- Choose energy-efficient equipment (e.g. LED lighting, A+++ class appliances).
- Opt for green electricity by subscribing to a renewable energy offer.
🚗 Mobility and sustainable transport
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- Encourage teleworking and remote meetings to limit travel.
- Encourage public transport, carpooling and electric vehicles for business trips.
- Optimize logistics by reducing distances traveled and improving truck fill rates.
🔄 Responsible production and sourcing
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- Select suppliers committed to reducing GHG emissions.
- Favoring recycled or low-carbon footprint raw materials.
- Improving waste management to limitecological impact.
Firstly, the use of GCI has enabled a significant reduction in the uncertainty of the GHG Balance, particularly for scope 3, from 50% to 5%. The Group now has 95% accurate data.
Thanks to supplier data collected and interpreted by the GCI tool, in-depth in-house analyses have been carried out on the impact of 35,000 products, grouping suppliers into 170 families. This represents +80% of purchases in mass and in euros.
📈 Monitoring and continuous improvement of environmental performance
Reducing emissions is a lengthy process that requires regular monitoring. Several tools are available to measure progress:
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- Annual update of the carbon footprint to track changes in emissions.
- Environmental performance indicators to assess savings achieved (e.g. lower energy consumption, reduction in kilometers traveled).
- Raising awareness and training teams to encourage collective commitment.
Some companies are going even further by integrating the ecological transition into their overall strategy, setting targets aligned with carbon neutrality by 2050.
Assessing a company's carbon footprint is a key step in understanding the impact of human activities on the climate. Carbon footprints enable us to identify the main sources of climate emissions, and to implement appropriate reduction strategies.
For companies, this approach is not just a regulatory obligation in France: it also represents an opportunity to optimize their energy costs, cut costs and improve their image. By adopting more energy-efficient solutions, promoting sustainable mobility and choosing responsible suppliers, it is possible to limit one's ecological footprint while remaining competitive.
But reducing waste does not stop at simply qualifying. Regular monitoring and continuous improvement are essential if this approach is to be sustainable. The transformation of energy infrastructures and carbon neutrality by 2050 require collective mobilization.
Every action counts. Businesses, local authorities and citizens all have a role to play in building a more sustainable future and preserving our environment for future generations.
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