Track and Calculate Your Product's Carbon Footprint
Calculating and reducing your carbon footprint
Reducing carbon emissions is crucial in combating climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions are categorized into three scopes:
- Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources.
- Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy.
- Scope 3: All indirect emissions (not included in Scope 2) that occur in the value chain ofthe reporting company, including both upstream and downstream emissions.
Many companies have begun calculating their Scope 1 and 2 emissions and may also have Net-Zero targets. However, it's essential to also calculate and mitigate Scope 3 emissions, which are related to your supply chain and products. These emissions often constitute the majority of a company's carbon footprint, though this can vary significantly across industries and business models.
Calculating and analyzing a product's full life cycle carbon footprint involves complex steps such as supply chain mapping, data collection and analysis, product traceability, onsite verification, and data assurance. Increasing legislation and market expectations require companies to substantiate their reported figures and communicate claims with science-based calculations.
For example, the European Green Deal and the EU Climate Law set ambitious emission reduction targets for 2030 and aim for climate neutrality by 2050. Corporate regulations like the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) require companies to discloseclimate-related financial information, including Scope 3 emissions. In the US, the Clean EnergyLaw imposes strict regulations on industrial emissions.
Scope 3 emissions, tied to activities outside an organization's direct control, require collaboration and engagement with suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders. Including these emissions in Net-Zero targets not only makes these targets more comprehensive but also fosters a collaborative, system-wide approach to carbon reduction, which is necessary to address global warming.
Learn more about scope 3 emissions from the GHG Protocol here
Contact us to learn how we can assist your business in tracking and reducing your product's carbon footprint.
How does it work?
Partnering with ReFlow , we offer a streamlined solution to measure, analyze, and reduce your product's carbon footprint, underpinned by six strategic steps. This approach combines ReFlow's digital lifecycle expertise in decarbonization with QIMA's global supply chain knowledge, offering a comprehensive method to manage and improve your climate impact effectively.
6 Steps to Reduce Your Product's Carbon Footprint:
- Build Your Program
Tailored programs that deliver results based on your needs, leveraging our platforms, expertise, and global presence. - Create Your Baseline
Assistance in data gathering for initial calculations to establish your baseline. - Analyze and Identify Hotspots
Identifying hotspots from initial calculations, and comparing products, suppliers, and materials to define the next steps. - Use Supply Chain Data
Enhancing data sets and accuracy by involving your supply chain in mapping and verifying relevant data for updated calculations. - Reduce Your Products’ Carbon Footprint
Implementing scenarios based on sourcing routes or sustainability initiatives (reuse, recycle, repurpose), and working with suppliers to improve their environmental practices. - Substantiate and Verify
Access third-party validation of your calculations in a Climate Assessment Report, increasing your assessment score with verified supply chain data.
The QIMA Benefits
- Optimize your R&D for lower carbon-intensive products
- Ensure substantiation to back your green claims
- Build credible consumer engagement
- Create auditable data sets for regulatory and reporting requirements
- Deliver on your carbon reduction commitments
- Measure the value of your sustainability and circularity initiatives
