To calculate a company’s carbon footprint, the specific consumption of the company’s activities is multiplied by representative emission factors. This may seem simple in theory, but the challenge posed by emission factors (also known as conversion factors, as they convert activity data, such as kWh of electricity or liters of fuel, into kg of CO2 equivalent) is that they are not very easy to identify (especially since they differ from country to country and sector to sector).

For Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, selecting an appropriate emission factor is relatively straightforward, as the same types of fuel are used, and the emission factors can be found on the websites of specialized institutions (e.g., IEA – International Energy Agency, EEA – European Environment Agency). For greater accuracy, emission factors specific to the activity of a company’s suppliers are essential, and the good news is that these are starting to become available for both the type of fuel used and the electricity consumed.

The objective of calculating emissions from Scope 3 is to collect information on emissions resulting from the activities across a company’s entire value chain. This means that data is needed regarding emissions from both the company’s suppliers and customers. For example, Purchased Goods and Services (Category 1 of Scope 3) include all non-capital goods (food and beverages, office supplies, etc.) as well as services (banking and insurance, consulting, etc.) purchased during the reporting year.

In an ideal world, a company’s suppliers should conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the impact of a product/service over its entire life cycle, or publish the carbon intensity of the product/service in relation to its production value. Unfortunately, at present, very few companies calculate their carbon footprint. Therefore, to perform a comprehensive carbon footprint analysis without excluding some subcategories due to lack of data, reporting companies tend to use international private databases or national public databases that provide emission factors based on national averages.

For Romania, most emission factors are still missing, which causes confusion and difficulties in the comparative analysis of results. This pushes international companies operating in Romania to use databases other than national ones, for example, French companies operating in Romania use the ADEME database, German and English companies use DEFRA, and American companies use the EPA. These companies have the same goal: to measure their own carbon footprint. These databases are created based on national characteristics that reflect the “carbon intensity” of the economies of those countries.

A country's energy mix, waste management strategies, and public infrastructure all contribute significantly to determining the value of emission factors. Therefore, two companies operating in Romania with similar activity data but different emission factors from different databases can arrive at significantly different results. As such, it can be misleading to compare the carbon footprints of different companies operating in Romania, even when they are in the same industry sector. In France, the use of the ADEME database is mandatory by law, which helps avoid confusion and allows companies in the same industry to compare their results.

Given the difficulties companies in Romania face in evaluating and comparing Scope 3 emissions, ECONOS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, ADEME, and the French Association Bilan Carbone (ABC), is developing the first emission factor database in Romania.

By attending this webinar, you will learn about:

  • Understanding Carbon Footprints: Carbon footprinting measures greenhouse gas emissions from various sources, divided into scopes (Scope 1, 2, and 3);

  • GHG Protocol and Standards: The GHG Protocol, developed by the World Resources Institute, is the global standard for corporate sustainability reporting, Emissions are categorized into direct (Scope 1), indirect (Scope 2 from purchased energy), and other indirect emissions (Scope 3 from activities not owned/controlled by the company);

  • Emission Factors and Their Sources: Emission factors convert activities (e.g., energy use, travel) into CO₂ equivalents,Public databases like DEFRA, ADEME, and private sources (ecoinvent) provide these factors;

  • Regional Variation in Emission Factors: Emission factors differ by location due to factors like energy mix and technology level, Environmentally-Extended Input-Output Analysis (EEIO) can provide emissions estimates based on economic activity;

  • Romanian-Specific Factors: Romania has developed unique emission factors for certain activities, mostly for Scope 1 and Scope 2, The aim is to create a localized carbon database with factors specific to Romania, promoting transparency and accuracy;

  • Developing the Central and Eastern Europe Carbon Database: The initiative involves stakeholders like the French ADEME and Association Bilan Carbone to enhance emissions data accuracy, Funding and collaboration with academic institutions are vital for expanding this carbon database;

  • Data4Climate Initiative: This collaborative initiative is dedicated to establishing Romania's first carbon footprint database, ensuring publicly accessible data for citizens and businesses;

About the guest speaker

Mathieu Gregori is the managing partner of ECONOS, a consultancy specializing in Sustainable Development operating in Bucharest, Romania. He holds a degree in Political Science and a Master’s in Environmental Policy from the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po (ranked among the top 2 global universities for Politics and International Studies, QS 2020).

During his studies at Sciences Po, he had the opportunity to learn best sustainable practices from IPCC researchers, IEA directors, BIG 4 partners, and the founder of the French carbon assessment methodology.

He successfully completed certification by the World Resources Institute in the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard, allowing him to perform comprehensive carbon assessments in accordance with the GHG Protocol methodology.

Several years of experience in sustainability have given him the opportunity to apply environmental requirements across various professional sectors including construction, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and fashion. His expertise has been developed through professional experiences in both the public and private sectors across six regions of the world.

Devino membru

SustainAbility School este un program de educare dedicat exclusiv angajaților din organizațiile membre ale Ambasadei Sustenabilității în România prin programul Coaliția România Sustenabilă.

Dacă ești angajatul unuia dintre membri, creează-ți cont gratuit aici.

Dacă angajatorul tău nu s-a implicat încă, dar vrei să participi la edițiile viitoare și să ai acces la edițiile trecute, cere decidenților din organizația ta să devină membru.