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CO₂e calculation: a strategic lever for a successful environmental transition

Did you know, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in France have reached 373 million tonnes of CO₂e in 2023. Limiting global warming means reducing consumption of fossil fuels. The Net Zero InitiativeThe aim is clear: to encourage companies to adopt strategies aligned with the energy transition.

In this dynamic, organizations are increasingly turning to CO₂e calculations to measure and reduce their carbon footprint. This approach, well beyond a simple regulatory obligation, is becoming a genuine strategic lever for minimizing environmental impact while boosting competitiveness. The CO₂ calculator tool assesses GHG emissions linked to production, transport and operating activities.

Thus, CO₂ calculation is becoming an essential pillar for any sustainable strategy, enabling not only a better understanding of its environmental impact, but also the identification of levers for improvement. With this in mind, an expert partner like Global Climate Initiatives (GCI) plays a key role in guiding organizations towards a successful, optimized environmental transition in line with international standards.

 3 Contents

Why calculate your carbon footprint?

⚖️Les environmental and regulatory issues

Reducing GHG emissions is a central issue in sustainable development strategies. National and European regulations are tightened every year to encourage companies to reduce their carbon footprint and adopt more environmentally-friendly practices.

🟢CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive)

Adopted by the European Union in 2022, the CSRD requires companies to publish detailed reports on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. This directive replaces the NFRD and extends the scope of application to a larger number of companies, now including listed SMEs.

From 2024, organizations with more than 250 employees will have to report their CO₂ emissions, reduction targets and climate change risks, in line withESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards) standards.

🟢 Carbon tax

The carbon tax is a fiscal mechanism designed to penalize CO₂ emissions by increasing the cost of fossil resources. In France, this tax, known as Contribution Climat Énergie (CCE), applies to fuels and natural gas.

In August 2024, the price per tonne of CO₂ stood at €70, with a projected trajectory to reach 100 € by 2030. This measure encourages companies to reduce their energy consumption and invest in low-carbon solutions.

🟢The carbon market (EU ETS)

Launched in 2005, the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is the world's largest carbon market. It is based on a "cap-and-trade" principle: a global cap is set, and the most polluting companies must buy allowances to offset their emissions.

This mechanism encourages structures to innovate in order to reduce their carbon footprint and gradually limit the number of quotas available, thus tightening the regulatory stranglehold.

💯A strategic lever for companies

Beyond the regulatory framework, measuring carbon footprints represents a real lever for performance and competitiveness. Indeed, organizations can identify major sources of energy waste, over-consumption or inefficiency in their internal processes.

✅ Lower operating costs

Energy optimization is often synonymous with financial savings. By analyzing energy emitters - such as travel, heating and industrial processes - we can rationalize consumption and make more economical choices.

For example, according toADEME(theFrench Environment and Energy Management Agency), turning off standby lights can save up to 15% of your electricity bill (excluding heating and hot water), or more than €100 a year.

What's more, according to the French Ministry of Ecological Transition, moderate use of air conditioning in cars can cut fuel consumption by 1-7% and reduce CO₂ emissions by 15% over 100 km.

✅ Enhanced brand image and competitive advantage

Consumers, investors and business partners are attaching increasing importance to a company's environmental commitment. Displaying a clear and transparent low-carbon trajectory can reinforce a company's credibility, meet the CSR requirements of key accounts, and improve its position in calls for tender.

✅ Easier access to responsible financing

Financial institutions increasingly favor structures committed to environmental transition. Having reliable data on its CO₂ emissions - thanks to a calculator - and above all using them to define a concrete action plan, helps justify its commitment to financiers.

It is also a key factor in the ESG rating of organizations, which has become a major market evaluation criterion.

✅ Anticipating future risks

Controlling our carbon footprint enables us toanticipate changes in the regulatory framework, limit the risk of carbon tax penalties, and gradually adapt our business model to a low-carbon economy. This constitutes a sustainable competitive advantage in a context of accelerated transition.

❗The importance of accurate data in CO₂ calculations

Measuring the carbon footprint depends on one fundamental requirement: reliable metrics. Without accurate, well-structured information, any strategy relies on biased assumptions, rendering action ineffective or even counter-productive.

✅ Precise collection and global approach

To obtain an accurate picture of its footprint, a company must integrate all its sources of CO₂, covering all three scopes:

Scope 1: direct emissions (on-site combustion, vehicle fleet).
Scope 2: indirect energy-related emissions (electricity, heating, cooling).
Scope 3: other indirect emissions (supply chain, waste, upstream/downstream transport, product use, business travel, etc.).

✅ Granular, up-to-date data

The more detailed the metrics, the more relevant the results: energy consumption by site, kilometers traveled by type of vehicle, nature of raw materials used, frequency of deliveries, etc. The use of reliable, up-to-date emission factors, such as those provided by ADEME, is also essential.

✅ Digitalization and automation

Today, numerous digital tools facilitate data collection and analysis. These platforms automate the production of GHG assessments, ensure the traceability of information and enable regular monitoring of indicators. They also offer a simulation of mitigation actions to guide strategic decisions.

✅ S teering and continuous improvement

Quality data enables us toidentify concrete levers for action and prioritize our efforts. It also helps to set realistic, measurable targets, and to communicate progress effectively, both internally and externally. Reliable reporting is the basis for effective, long-term low-carbon management.

How to sustain and strengthen your business through a successful low-carbon trajectory.

Download the Guide

CO₂ calculation: methods, issues and applications for businesses

💡The different methods: Bilan Carbone® and GHG Protocol

There are several recognized methodologies for measuring an organization's carbon footprint. The two main ones, widely used both nationally and internationally, are Bilan Carbone® and the GHG Protocol. Although they share similar objectives, they differ in origin, structure and level of detail.

👉Le Bilan Carbone®: a structured, educational French method

Developed by theAgence de la Transition Écologique, this method is specifically adapted to the French context. It offers a comprehensive approach, based on the accounting of all greenhouse gas emissions linked to the activity of an entity (company, local authority, etc.).

Bilan Carbone® takes into account 3 Scopes (Scope 1, 2 and 3)

Its main advantage: it provides a broad, operational vision of carbon impact, while helping to build a concrete low-carbon strategy.

👉 The GHG Protocol: the international reference standard

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), is the world's most widely used emissions reporting method. It serves as the basis for international standards such as ISO 14064, and has been adopted by many multinationals.

The GHG Protocol is also based on a classification into three scopes.

Its advantage lies in its compatibility with international reporting requirements, notably in the context of CSRD, ESG obligations and financial markets.

In addition to these methods, it is important to note the existence of complementary international standards, such asISO 14064, which provides a framework for the quantification and verification of emissions on an organization-wide scale, andISO 14067, dedicated to the carbon footprint of products over their entire life cycle.

This means that mastering calculation methods is no longer enough: integrating solid standards is becoming a strategic lever for reinforcing the credibility of structural climatic approaches.

💨High-emission sectors

Certain sectors or areas are particularly responsible for global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Understanding their impact is essential to guide decarbonization efforts.

🚛 Transport: a constantly growing sector

The transport sector is one of the main contributors to CO₂ emissions. In 2022, global CO₂ emissions from this sector reached almost 8 gigatons (Gt). This 3% increase on 2021 is mainly due to the post-pandemic resumption of air traffic.

Source: IAE

💻 Digital: an often underestimated carbon footprint

The digital sector, although less visible, has a significant carbon footprint, and already accounts for almost 4% of global CO₂e emissions. What's more, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain contribute to this rise due to their high energy consumption.

This proportion is rising steadily as a result of the growth in digital uses, data centers and streaming.

source : ACERP

🏭 Industry: a pillar of the global carbon footprint

The industrial sector is responsible for a significant share of the world's carbon impact. In 2019, emissions linked to the combustion of energy resources and industrial processes contributed 19% of the global carbon footprint.

source: BPI France

📊Using data to steer your low-carbon transition

Once the carbon footprint has been established, the data collected becomes a genuine steering tool for implementing the ecological transition in a structured and effective way.

1️⃣Cibler the biggest emitters

The balance sheet helps toidentify the most carbon-intensive activities: production, transport, purchasing, etc. This prioritization helps to prioritize actions where the impact will be greatest.

2️⃣ Define concrete action plans

On this basis, the company can build a tailor-made plan: energy efficiency, logistics optimization, responsible purchasing, etc.

3️⃣ Tracking progress with indicators

Carbon KPIs enable us to measure the effectiveness of our actions: total emissions, as well as those per product or per employee, and the share of each scope covered. It is therefore essential to use a high-performance tool, such as the one developed by GCI, which facilitates monitoring over time and decision-making.

4️⃣Intégrer long-term strategy

This data feeds into regulatory reports (CSRD, ESG) and reinforces the company's environmental credibility. It also serves as a basis for adjusting strategy and involving all stakeholders.

GCI: your partner for a successful environmental transition

At Global Climate Initiatives, we are convinced that no action plan can be implemented without an in-depth understanding of stakeholders. GCI offers tailor-made training and coaching to help organizations integrate sustainability at the heart of their strategy.

To achieve this, we support you at every stage of your environmental transition, through :

👩‍🎓Une training in climate issues

A course structured into 4 modules:

Climate and energy fundamentals
Methodological approach to GHG assessments
Preparing your balance sheet with GCI
Drawing up a balance sheet and reducing emissions

🤝"Climate Fresco" workshops by GCI

Our carbon engineers, trained and experienced in running La Fresque du Climat, are available to organize these workshops directly within your company, facilitating your teams' commitment to a concrete climate strategy.

In addition to raising awareness, GCI supports you in reducing your carbon footprint over the long term, thanks to the various tools available on our platform.

🎦 The GCI Academy area

A place to learn and develop skills:

- Tutorial videos, technical documentation
- Detailed FAQs by topic
- Real-life simulations on the GCI platform

✨ Customized strategic support

Complete GHG assessment, including scoping, data collection and reporting
Our Decarbo'Solutions®, the winning triptych for an effective and sustainable environmental transition:

🛠️ Decarbo'Supply®: Decarbonize your purchasing throughout your supply chain. Reduce the carbon footprint of your products through your suppliers.

🤝 Decarbo'Tender®: Integrate carbon criteria into your calls for tender. Select your suppliers according to their environmental performance for truly responsible purchasing.

🎯 Decarbo'Target®: Project your GHG balance over time. Define your reduction trajectories and manage your climate objectives with precision.

GCI's carbon engineers, experts in the Bilan Carbone® method (level 2, ABC) and in methodologies such as ADEME's "Act Pas à Pas", will use their know-how to guide your organization step by step towards a sustainable environmental transition.

Measuring one's carbon footprint is no longer an option, but a necessity for all organizations wishing to adopt a sustainable approach. Carrying out a carbon footprint assessment enables us to measure thecarbon footprint of each activity, and to highlight the items that emit the most greenhouse gases. This awareness enables us to take concrete action to reduce ourcarbon and environmental impact, as part of a sustainable development approach.

With GCI's support, this transition becomes accessible, measurable and optimized. Together, we can transform environmental commitment into a strategic lever for a greener, more responsible future.