Greenhouse gas balancing, climate neutrality and carbon footprint measurement

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to achieve climate neutrality is a goal that can apply to businesses, real estate developers and entire municipalities. Determining the emissions of a particular product or process makes it possible to calculate its specific CO₂ emissions, ‘climate friendliness’ or carbon footprint.

For a business or municipality to start the ball rolling, it must first determine its existing CO₂ emissions or emissions of all greenhouse gases by compiling a greenhouse gas balance report. It is a good idea to combine this with an energy and air pollution report, because the data collected from activities such as the consumption of fuel oil to calculate greenhouse gas emissions overlaps significantly with the data used to compile an energy usage report and/or an air pollution report.

Repeated reporting makes it possible to compare developments over time and to define measures effective in reducing emissions or making energy savings. Unavoidable emissions can be offset by certificates from CO₂ projects held in reserve or the use of carbon sinks.

When it comes to reporting, setting targets and planning measures, questions often arise that are difficult to answer without specialist knowledge and in-depth studies:

• Which activities should be included in the report? Where should the boundaries between different systems be drawn?
• Which sources of activity data are more accurate and of higher quality? If need be, must the data be calculated indirectly, and if so, how?
• Which are the biggest energy consumers and greenhouse gas emitters?
• Where can our energy efficiency be improved? Where is there potential for using renewable energy sources?
• In terms of reduction potential, where should we take action first?
• What is a realistic path to reduction? What reduction goal should we aim for?