Establishing a Simple Carbon Labeling Input Program
How to Start Your Own CL Today? The following provides a relatively easy-to-use methodology to get started. There are consulting firms that provide improved,more accurate methodologies.
Steps:
- Identify products and their quantities
- Select level: e.g. added carbon, LCA, etc.
- Identity sources of emissions (energy + other)
- Allocate carbon emissions by products
- Label carbon input by product
- Promote your CL to your customers
You Can Start with Simple Scenario: choose just one or a few products and calculate added carbon and label the products.
It is easy to start a basic carbon accounting and labeling program to produce ballpark figures. To produce really comprehensive and reliable figures required much more effort. However, a basic “ballpark” program is an easy, low-risk way to start the learning process.
Who Should Be Involved In Your CL Initiative?
Large Firm
- Senior VP level executive (champion initiative)
- Director level manager (manage initiative)
- Semi-dedicated staff to Director (coordinate initiative)
- One+ technical staff involved in production, overhead
- One+ accounting staff who knows production quantities
- One marketing / communication person
- One packaging person
Small Firm
- Owner/Manager; and if needed and available, others to gather and process data, then label and promote results
Most of the people on these lists would only be involved on a part-time basis. These lists are based upon the presenter’s experience of who is required to move business projects forward.
How to Handle CL-Related Data?
Note: as carbon offset credits become more expensive, emissions savings will need to be obtained internally, and good carbon accounting and labeling will be essential.
- Use of hard data when available (or good faith estimates when not available)
- Adhere to the CL, EIL standards
- Produce ballpark carbon results
- Can practice CL without having to disclose confidential data, although this reduces transparency
- No dollars / costs amounts are disclosed
Examples of Measuring Techniques Found:
Take actual measurements [e.g. performed by Environmental firm]
Use secondary tables [e.g. Carbon Label California]
Simple Case Study—Bakery
Here, we will focus on carbon added.
Products: Loaves of bread, rolls, cookies; will focus on bread
Sources of emissions:
Energy: mixer, electric oven, human labor, overhead
Chemical: yeast
Methodology:
1. Identify GHG emission rates by source per unit of time
2. Break down production tasks (e.g. recipe steps)
3.Multiply each task time by source emission rate
4. Add GHG from each step and allocate overhead for result
Determine the right calculation method:
- Two Approaches (Direct vs. indirect)
- Individual Product Method- Batch Production Method
- Multi-Product Batch Production Method
Sample Calculations:
Emissions due to Direct Energy
Use of mixer: .25 hours x 500 W/hr = 0.125 W
Then multiply power x emission factor (e.g. for coal, etc.)
Emissions due to Chemical Processes
Fermentation from yeast: e.g. 30 grams of CO2 per loaf
Then multiply power x emission factor (e.g. for coal, etc.)
Emissions due to Overhead Energy,
If 5000 W/per day for HVAC & office, and 100 loaves / day,
Then 50 W is allocated per loaf
Then multiply power x emission factor (e.g. for coal, etc.)
Add up the emissions from allof these sources and then CL label the product.
[Source: EIL case study, 2008; numbers here are for purposes of illustration only]
Improving the Case Study by Accounding for Additional Sources—Bakery
Upstream inputs
Supply chain (flour, eggs, equipment)
Lifetime use
If take bread home and re-heat it
Cars (e.g. to transport bread to a home), appliances can be major component of emissions
Disposal
Does it require emissions to dispose of or recycle? Wrapper?
Neglect can result in emissions: Superfund sites!
[Sources: EIL case study, 2008, anecdotal]