Calculating the corporate carbon footprint (CCF) is of key importance for companies today. It forms the basis for actively shaping climate protection and making targeted, sustainable and climate-friendly decisions. At the same time, the carbon footprint creates transparency for important stakeholder groups – because customers, investors and business partners attach increasing importance to comprehensible information on climate protection. Legal requirements and international reporting standards are also increasingly calling for a detailed recording of company-related emissions. In addition, a transparent and credible commitment to climate protection can secure the decisive competitive advantage by strengthening customer trust and positioning the company as a responsible partner. The calculation of the CCF is therefore an important lever for combining environmental responsibility with long-term economic success.
Carbon footprints of companies and organisations, i.e. corporate carbon footprints (abbreviated to CCFs), include all relevant greenhouse gas emissions within a reference period, usually one year. The sources of the greenhouse gas emissions can be divided into different categories for this purpose. For example, you can structure the survey according to functional categories such as energy consumption, vehicle fleet, transport, business travel or materials – or follow the scopes model of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which divides emissions into three scopes. In this model, a distinction is made between emissions generated directly in the company’s own facilities (Scope 1), indirect emissions from purchased energy, such as electricity and district heating (Scope 2), and other indirect upstream and downstream emissions, e.g. from business travel and purchased materials (Scope 3). The methodological approach is based on internationally recognised standards (ISO 14064, GHG Protocol).
Scope 1 includes all direct emissions that occur within the company and are controlled by the company itself.
Important: companies can have a direct impact on these emissions, for example by using more efficient technologies or switching to low-emission vehicles.
Scope 2 captures indirect emissions caused by the company’s energy consumption.
Important: companies can reduce these emissions by purchasing green electricity or investing in energy efficiency.
Scope 3 includes all other indirect emissions that occur outside the company’s own company – both upstream and downstream in the value chain.
Upstream activities:
Goods and services procured: emissions arising from the manufacture of purchased raw materials and products.
Capital goods: emissions resulting from the production of goods that are used long-term, such as machinery, equipment or buildings.
Fuels for energy production: emissions from the extraction, processing and transport of purchased fuels before their use in the company.
Transport and distribution: emissions by external service providers during the transport of purchased goods, internal transport and the delivery of produced goods – if paid for by the company whose carbon footprint is being calculated.
Operational waste: emissions from the disposal and processing of the company’s waste.
Business travel: CO₂ emissions from air travel, rail travel and rental cars used by employees.
Employees’ commute: emissions caused by employees commuting to work.
Leased assets (upstream): emissions arising from the operation of leased facilities or vehicles, insofar as they are not included in Scopes 1 or 2.
Downstream activities:
Transport and distribution: emissions arising from the sale of products to end customers.
Processing of sold products: CO₂ emissions resulting from the further processing of the company’s own products by other companies.
Use of sold products: emissions caused by the customer when using the products.
Waste treatment of sold products: emissions resulting from the disposal or recycling of products.
Leased assets: emissions arising from the use of goods leased by the company.
Concessions: emissions from the use of land, water or raw material rights within the company’s sphere of influence.
Investments: emissions that are indirectly related to the company’s financial investments.
A corporate carbon footprint gives you detailed insights into your impact on the environment. It includes the analysis, evaluation and management of all your company’s greenhouse gas emissions. myclimate supports you in generating a complete carbon footprint at company level and offers a comprehensive assessment. Our experienced sustainability consultants will also show you how you can optimise your company’s carbon footprint.
Discover our corporate carbon footprinting services
myclimate recommends implementing corporate carbon footprints with the help of Software tools to establish ongoing carbon management. With the web-based tool myclimate EcoCloud, myclimate offers companies a professional solution for this. Get in touch with us to find out more.
Als Einstieg oder für eine erste Einschätzung bietet der CO₂-Rechner von myclimate eine einfache Möglichkeit, grundlegende Emissionsdaten zu berechnen.
In summary, calculating the corporate carbon footprint is a key component of corporate climate protection. The carbon footprint at company level serves as the basis for ongoing carbon management and is a source of information and proof of key greenhouse gas figures for sustainability reports (e.g. in accordance with GRI, CSRD or VSME). Furthermore, a corporate carbon footprint is required in order to develop a CO2 target and reduction pathway for a company’s sustainability strategy – as required, for example, by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
