0Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management Gary Davis

1Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries Presentation outline 1.About the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management (ECCM) 2.Why do we set boundaries? 3.How do we set boundaries? 4.Should we care about boundaries?

2Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries About ECCM  Originally a spin-off company from University of Edinburgh  Part of a group of companies (Camco Group), specialising in different areas of climate change mitigation, e.g. sustainable buildings, renewables, energy efficiency, offset projects, and carbon trading.  ECCM specialises in GHG emissions assessments or “carbon footprinting” (as well as other areas, e.g. land-use based emissions reductions, academic research)  Track record in carbon footprinting:  Over 800 UK and International emissions assessments  Clients include: Scottish and Newcastle, Scottish Executive, BP, BOC

3Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries Why do we need set boundaries? Four main reasons for calculating a carbon footprint: 1.To manage the footprint and reduce emissions over time 2.To accurately report emissions to a third-party (e.g. the public.) 3.To compare your results with your peers 4.To offset emissions (to go “carbon neutral”)

4Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries Why do we need set boundaries? Common problems with Carbon Footprint results:  Lack of transparency – what emissions sources are included in the scope?  Doubling counting – two organisations reporting the same emissions  Same organisations reporting a different scope from one year to the next  Grey areas – long term leased vehicles, leased office space

5Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries Why do we need set boundaries? Therefore setting boundaries is important because it allows us to achieve the following on a like for like basis: 1.Define what an organisation will report/manage/reduce/offset 2.Measure emissions and associated reductions from year to year 3.Compare emissions between organisations Measuring and reporting consistently and transparently helps avoids accusations of “Greenwash”

6Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries How do you set boundaries? 3 main types of boundary 1. Organisational boundary (based on WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol): Control Equity share 2. Operational boundary (based on WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol): Scope One emissions Scope Two emissions Scope Three emissions 3. GHG Emissions included: CO2 only or all Kyoto gases (CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, SF6)

7Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries How do you set boundaries? Operational boundary

8Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries How do you set boundaries?

9Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries How do you set boundaries? Standards and protocols World Business Council for Sustainable Development/World Resources Institute (2004) - the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Consistent with CDP, GRI, CCAR, ISO14064 (1). Sources for emissions factors Defra Guidelines to Defra’s greenhouse gas conversion factors for company reporting. WBCSD website. IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/index.htmhttp:// nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/index.htm

10Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries How do you set boundaries? Assessment boundaries for product carbon footprint assessment

11Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries How do you set boundaries? Standards and guidance for product assessments: Draft BSI Standard – Publicly Available Specification (2050)

12Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries Should we care about boundaries? Does having a consistent set of boundaries for every organisation really matter? NO: Emissions reductions are what we are trying to achieve, whether they are calculated correctly or not. The climate does not care if our sums are correct, it is only affected by receiving less CO2e. Waiting to start a reduction strategy until we have a globally agreed way forward is a waste of precious time that could be better spent making reductions now. YES: If we charge on claiming reductions and communicating our emissions without a consistent methodology mistakes will be made and stakeholders will lose confidence in GHG reporting, management and reduction seeing it only as “Greenwash”.

13Carbon Footprinting – Setting the Boundaries Final Thoughts GET ON WITH IT! The most valuable reductions are those made now – a tonne of avoided CO2 stays avoided so is not causing further warming each year. Setting boundaries is important for the sake of consistency and transparency but should not be a barrier to starting a reduction strategy.

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