What is a carbon footprint?
A carbon footprint is a measure of how much something contributes to global warming. More specifically, it’s a measure of the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted to the atmosphere by producing or using something. Calculating the true carbon footprint of a product is a highly complex task. It’s based on the main stages of a product’s life cycle, using the best available data.
Why carbon footprints matter
The real value of a carbon footprint is in identifying which parts of a product’s lifecycle contribute most to its overall climate change impact. It helps us focus on where we need to concentrate our efforts to reduce the footprint and demonstrate improvements over time.
Scope 1, 2 and 3
The GHG Protocol is an internationally recognized standard for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions. It provides clear guidelines for organizations to account for their emissions across three distinct categories, known as scopes:
Scope 1 covers direct emissions from owned or controlled sources, such as fuel combustion in company facilities. Scope 2 includes indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling. Scope 3 encompasses all other indirect emissions in the value chain, including those from purchased goods and services, transportation, and waste disposal. These scopes are fundamental to the carbon statements, ensuring comprehensive reporting and transparency throughout the product lifecycle.
Understanding the climate impact
Carbon Statements help our customers to better understand and assess their climate impact, as our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions together contribute to our customer’s Scope 3 emissions. In addition, by gaining a better understanding of where we can reduce emissions, we can directly help our customers achieve the same goal.
Taking action based on the carbon footprint
Our paper carbon footprints show that purchased electricity and fuel combustion to generate energy in our mills are the largest contributors. This is why we focus on improving energy efficiency and increasing the use of non-fossil and renewable energy sources.