The search for low-cost markets and increasing consumption has meant that the carbon footprint of products has increased considerably in the last half century, adding a significant contribution to global warming. The trend towards zero-carbon in recent years offers a spark of hope for a reversal of the unfavourable balance.
A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases produced by a person, business, or emitted in the manufacture of a product, including the energy consumption of buildings and transport.
The importance of our collective carbon footprint lies primarily in knowing how fast we are approaching environmental catastrophe. It is an important factor correlated with the setting of Ecological Debt Day and an invaluable indication of the preventive measures that humanity should take to avoid this disaster.
Ecological Debt Day marks the point at which the Earth's natural resources are depleted and can be rebuilt within 365 days. In 2022, it fell a day earlier than in the previous year, on 28 July. If nothing changes, by 2050 we will need the resources of three planets to satisfy the consumption that has been growing since the 1970s.
Unfortunately, years of turning a blind eye to climate change have meant that we are one of the countries contributing significantly to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In 2022, as a country of 36.8 million, we will deplete the planet's resources almost three months earlier than humanity as a whole, as of early May.
The main contributor to this process is coal-based energy production. It is responsible for 94 per cent of the carbon dioxide emissions generated by the production of electricity and heat in Poland. In 2021, this was almost 140 million tonnes of CO2. This means that our power and heating industry emits more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than Nigeria, a country with a population of 220 million.
This makes us the second highest emitter (after Estonia) of greenhouse gases per unit of electricity in the EU. According to the Energy Forum, the production of 1 MWh in Polish power plants is 0.7 kg of carbon dioxide. Much of this is due to Europe's largest emitter, the Bełchatów power plant, which is second only to Kozienice and Opole in the top ten biggest polluters. To complete the picture, the entire infamous top ten consists solely of power plants fired by hard coal or lignite.
We already know the biggest emitter of CO2: the energy industry using fossil fuels. Other industries that should drastically reduce their carbon footprint are:
At the same time, let us remember that we all leave a carbon footprint - every human being and every activity. It is interesting to note that the oceans are responsible for the largest carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. However, unlike human activities, oceans simultaneously absorb much more CO2 than they emit and therefore have a negative balance in generating their carbon footprint.
If we look at the activities of a single workplace, the following aspects are responsible for the largest emissions:
The law in Poland, unlike in a large number of European countries, does not require organisations to calculate their carbon footprint. However, in order to operate successfully in more environmentally mature markets, transparency of information an organisation’s emissions becomes a key issue. It is also worth measuring a company’s carbon footprint, as legal standards for decarbonisation will soon be introduced in our country.
First on the agenda will be the construction industry, which has traditionally been among the top industries in terms of emissions. As of 2027, carbon footprint calculations will be mandatory for designed buildings with an area of more than 2,000 m², and from 2030 for all buildings, regardless of area.
The first country to calculate the carbon footprint was the UK. To calculate it, use the guidelines in the GHG Protocol or the ISO 14064 (for organisations) and ISO 14067 (for products) standards. It is given in three ranges:
Calculators are easy to find online and are very helpful in calculating carbon footprints. They count both the traditional and digital carbon footprint of a company. Measuring the carbon footprint, apart from the awareness aspect, has several other important benefits:
According to environmental experts from Eco-Project: "You can easily reduce the value of your carbon footprint by optimising your brand's operations in a way that is consistent with the objectives of this parameter. Contrary to popular belief, these measures do not necessarily have to involve worsening working conditions, increasing the price of finished products or producing them more slowly. In fact, modern technology means that reducing one's carbon footprint is only a matter of commitment on the part of the entrepreneur, rather than a large financial outlay and high investment that may undermine a company's financial health."
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The specific changes an orgaznisation may undertake will be determined by what the company does and it’s overall operations. Different measures will be necessary for a manufacturing company, as opposed to commercial offices, service offices or the digital industry.
Even if a company does not have many opportunities to drastically reduce emissions, it is always possible to take measures to offset emissions by reducing greenhouse gases elsewhere in the world. Offsetting programmes that 'take away' negative contributions from the environment, such as by supporting the planting of trees or the development of renewable energy, serve this purpose. An example of this might be mining companies, which are among those with the highest environmental burden.
There are a number of actions that all businesses can undertake, regardless of their industry or the nature of their business activities. These actions are particularly useful for companies with low and moderate greenhouse gas emissions and usually don’t require any significant reengineering of internal processes or costly investments. However, strategic decisions will be required to implement the following processes and actions.
- reduce your consumption of non-environmental energy. For example, by installing photovoltaic panels, or buying energy with a guarantee of origin. The latter can be done through PPAs with green energy producers or through virtual power plants that can issue a certificate of origin for renewable energy. One such green energy operator is Photon Energy, which aggregates only RES generators in its virtual power plant
Reducing the carbon footprint can also be achieved by implementing good practices in the organisation’s culture. Examples of such measures could be:
For those organisations that significantly burden the environment with their carbon footprint, the methods described above may not be enough. Profound changes will be required, both in terms of the technologies used and the methods of operation or process control. However, by implementing innovative carbon reduction methods and updating their processes, companies can not only reduce their carbon footprint but also increase their overall competitiveness and economic growth. In fact, this is the main objective of the improvements! Eco-efficiency, process innovation and increased competitiveness can all work hand in hand.
In order to successfully reduce its carbon footprint, a company should combine technology with business management methods, and this should be done at every stage of the business. The most efficient methods here will prove to be methods such as:
The use of the Internet of Things enables the other systems to better communicate with each other and, when combined with RFID technology, maximises business efficiency. A prerequisite for SCM is the prior implementation of an ERP system into the organisation, which facilitates the smooth flow of materials within the supply chain. The introduction of MRP and MRP II technology allows the planning of raw materials to be used in procurement and then in production. The WMS streamlines the warehousing process, providing information on the distribution of products and also allowing the status of goods to be monitored. The whole is tied together by the ITS system, which is not used directly within the company but, with its help, material transport can generate lower costs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the form of exhaust fumes.
Historically, the benefits of reducing a company’s carbon footprint were essentially only image-based. Pro-environmental measures built an image of a company that had the world's best interests at heart and was combating global warming not only in declaration, but also in reality, by aiming for zero carbon. At the same time, if these actions were not in fact a sham, this image became increasingly important in the marketplace. An organization could meet the expectations of customers, who increasingly declared that they preferred goods from producers reducing their carbon footprint while avoiding being labeled as greenwashers.
Over time, in addition to social pressure, legislative pressure has also started to increase, especially in western Europe. Now, the most important benefits, in addition to those of image, can be divided into three groups:
