Comment calculer et réduire l’empreinte carbone de votre entreprise ?

The carbon footprint is the sum of all greenhouse gas emissions that can be attributed to a company, entity, or individual. This includes both emissions directly generated by your activities, such as fuel and plastic consumption, as well as indirect emissions. For example, the emissions from the production and transportation of the raw materials you use are part of your carbon footprint.

In order to help you measure your carbon footprint comprehensively, ADEME has defined a method known as the carbon assessment.

The carbon footprint is used in France to account for all greenhouse gas emissions from a company or an individual. We will see what the specificities of the carbon footprint are, and how you can implement it internally to calculate your carbon footprint.

The carbon footprint is a method developed by ADEME, which defines it as “an assessment of the amount of greenhouse gases emitted (or captured) in the atmosphere over a year by the activities of an organization or a territory.”
The official name of the carbon footprint is the “GHG balance”, for greenhouse gases. Indeed, although carbon is part of most greenhouse gases, this balance allows the evaluation of all your emissions, even those of less represented GHGs.
This method establishes a unique way for all companies to assess their carbon footprint. This allows:
1. To objectively compare oneself to the market
2. To have a comprehensive review to find areas for improvement
3. To benefit from a unique criterion to assess your compliance with legal standards

The government regularly transmits key figures to be reached for various industries based on production. The unique calculation basis that is the carbon footprint allows you to see where your company stands on greenhouse gas production. If you need to make improvements compared to your competitors, Dametis will support you in these actions.

The carbon footprint is also a way to ensure that no carbon production source is overlooked, which could give you the impression of low production. On the contrary, you may discover that the choice of your supplier or the storage of your products are potential optimization areas.

Finally, it is the guarantee of fair treatment in the eyes of the law, especially to ensure a single criterion for evaluating the carbon tax and other laws related to greenhouse gases. This is why all companies with more than 500 employees are required to carry out an annual carbon assessment.

The carbon footprint of your company can be established directly internally. Indeed, you have all the necessary resources on the Ademe website. Their site contains resources tailored to whether you are a company, a community, or a public institution. This will of course require a lot of time, whether it is to read the documentation or to gather the necessary elements from your colleagues and suppliers.

This is where Dametis comes in. Thanks to our software, you will save time and increase accuracy on your carbon footprint. Our technicians can also leverage their expertise to assess your company’s GHG emissions and help you gain peace of mind with the certainty of an accurate carbon footprint.

Once your carbon footprint has been calculated, how should you use it? The first step is to evaluate which areas are producing the most greenhouse gases, and to check if:

– It is more than you had anticipated
– The allocation of the carbon footprint seems logical to you
– You can make improvements in some areas

Indeed, in a production plant, you may find that your main source of GHG emissions comes from the use of the factory’s machines. In some cases, a more efficient maintenance solution, or in other cases, upgrading your equipment, can help improve your energy efficiency. Energy efficiency can involve maintaining your production while reducing your consumption or increasing your production with the same consumption. The government offers assistance to facilitate companies’ ecological projects.

If the emissions from a particular area surprise you, it will be necessary to understand why it holds a significant place in your GHG balance, and, if necessary, to find alternatives.

For instance, if the storage facility where you fetch raw materials ten times a day is located 15 km away from your company, the transportation will impact your carbon footprint. It might be more beneficial to invest in a storage facility closer to your production site for some or all of your raw materials.

Dametis experts are here to support you, whether it’s for simple cases or more complex optimization scenarios.

Finally, there are carbon offset measures that will remove carbon from nature, or enable others to produce less. This carbon is subtracted when calculating your carbon footprint.

These measures include reforestation, the installation of solar panels for external use by the company, or support for other environmental projects.