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Written by Manoëlle Dousson
To remember
- The carbon footprint measures the greenhouse gas emissions of an organization over the course of its activities during a completed year.
- Not all methodologies are created equal: the scope studied and the quality of the data can vary significantly from one method to another.
- The carbon footprint should not be confused with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which takes a much more in-depth environmental approach at the level of a product or service.
- Industry and service companies have an interest in measuring their carbon footprint to identify their main levers for action, particularly with de leur chaîne de production.
- Conducting a carbon assessment is just the first step: the challenge is then to define and monitor a credible reduction plan.
- At Positive Company®, the carbon footprint assessment is a necessary condition to obtain the 2nd and 3rd star of the label — it serves as an essential foundation for any structured CSR approach.
Carbon footprint
In its early days, the carbon footprint was mainly associated with large industrial companies or heavily polluting entities. Today, this issue concerns all organizations, regardless of their size or industry sector.
Under the influence of regulatory expectations, client demands, investors, and employees, companies must now be able to understand and manage their environmental impact. In this context, the carbon footprint is gradually becoming an essential tool for structuring the CSR approach.
But concretely, what is a carbon footprint? What is the difference with a life cycle assessment (LCA)? Are all methodologies equal? And above all: why is it becoming essential, even for service companies?
What is a carbon footprint?
The carbon footprint consists of measuring the greenhouse gas emissions generated directly and indirectly by an organization. The goal is to quantify the climate impact of activities in order to identify the main sources of emissions and the levers for reduction.
The scope of analysis is generally structured around three categories:
- Scope 1: direct emissions related to the company's activities (heating, vehicle fleet, industrial processes...)
- Scope 2: Indirect emissions related to energy consumption
- Scope 3: other indirect emissions: purchases, transportation, travel, digital, waste, product use, etc.
In many companies, scope 3 represents the majority of the total carbon footprint.
The carbon footprint assessment allows us to go beyond intuitions or preconceived notions. It provides a quantified and objective view of the actual impact of activities.
A bit of history
The idea of numerically assessing the impact of a company or an object on the climate emerged in 1995 with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Plusieurs méthodes de comptabilité carbone sont développées, comme le Greenhouse Gas Protocol en 2001, la norme ISO 14064 en 2006 et le Bilan Carbone en 2004 à l'initiative de l'ADEME et de Jean-Marc Jancovici.
Carbon footprint and LCA: two different approaches
The carbon footprint is sometimes confused with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). However, these two tools serve different purposes.
The carbon footprint focuses exclusively on greenhouse gas emissions. It aims to measure the climate impact of an organization, a service, or a product.
The LCA adopts a broader approach: it analyzes 16 environmental impacts on the
seems from the life cycle of a product or service (see table below).
| Impact indicator | Details |
|---|---|
| Climate change | Climate Change, Global EcosystemModification du climat, écosystème global |
| Fine Particles | Impact on HealthImpact sur la santé via inhalation |
| Water depletion | Water consumption weighted by local scarcityConsommation d'eau pondérée par la rareté locale |
| depletion of energy resourcesment | Depletion of coal, natural gas, oil, and uranium |
| land use | Land Degradation vs. Natural State |
| Depletion of Mineral ressources | Depletion of copper, rare earth elements, sand, etc. |
| Ozone layer depletion | Increased UV Exposure |
| Acidification | Acid rain, atmospheric deposition |
| Ionizing radiation | Radioactive Waste (Nuclear) |
| Photochemical Ozone Formation | Smog, Air Quality |
| Terrestrial Eutrophication | Excess nitrogen in agricultural soils |
| Marine Eutrophication | Excess nutrients, green algae (ocean) |
| Freshwater Eutrophication | Excess nutrients, dead zones (rivers/lakes) |
| Freshwater Ecotoxicity | Environmental contamination, not very robust |
| Human Toxicity (Non-carcinogenic) | Exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, and pollutants |
| Human Toxicity (carcinogenic) | Exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, and pollutants |
In other words:
The carbon footprint answers the question: "What are my greenhouse gas emissions?"
The LCA answers the question: "What is the overall environmental impact of my product or activity?"
The two approaches are complementary, but they do not utilize the same data or the same objectives.
Carbon footprint
Objective: measure carbon emissions
Measure the greenhouse gas emissions generated by an organization, product, or activity in order to identify the main sources of emissions and reduction levers.
An indicator: CO2
Focus solely on climate impact and CO2 equivalent emissions. Results are generally expressed in tons of CO2 equivalent..
A management and reporting tool
Strategic management tool for building a trajectory for emission reduction and structuring a CSR or climate approach.
ACV
A 360 view on environmental impact
Assess the overall environmental impacts of a product or service throughout its entire life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials to the end of life.
A multitude of indicators
Analyze several categories of environmental impacts: carbon emissions, water consumption, resource depletion, pollution, waste, biodiversity, etc.
Eco-design assistance
Tool for eco-design assistance that allows for the comparison of different products, materials, or scenarios in order to reduce overall environmental impacts.
In a more exceptional manner, the scope of an LCA can also be divided as follows:
Not all carbon assessments are created equal
Conducting a carbon assessment does not automatically guarantee a reliable or actionable view of its environmental impact. The quality of the study heavily depends on the methodology used and the level of accuracy of the data collected.
Several elements allow for distinguishing a robust carbon footprint assessment from a more superficial approach:
The studied perimeter
Some companies limit their analysis to direct emissions and energy consumption (= scopes 1 and 2). However, the most significant emissions often occur in purchases, suppliers, or product use (often more than 70% of emissions). An incomplete carbon footprint can lead to a significant underestimation of the organization's actual impact.
The quality of the data
A report based solely on generic estimates will not have the same relevance as an analysis based on precise and consolidated activity data. The more detailed and reliable the data, the more relevant the resulting action plans will be.
The update frequency
The carbon footprint is not a one-time exercise intended solely to produce a number or meet a regulatory requirement. Its value lies in tracking changes over time. Without regular updates (on average biannually), it becomes impossible to measure the effectiveness of the actions taken.
The exploitation of results
The real challenge is not just to measure, but to act. A useful carbon footprint assessment must allow for:
- to identify the main sources of emissions;
- to prioritize actions;
- to build a realistic reduction trajectory in the medium term;
- to track the progress made over time.
The objective is not only to produce a report but to build a credible and measurable path of progress. Thus, as with any CSR approach, the logic must be that of continuous improvement.
Industries and service companies: all concerned
In the industry, emissions can come from many sources: energy consumption, manufacturing processes, raw materials, transportation, or waste management.
The carbon footprint allows in particular:
to identify the most emitting processes;
to prioritize environmental investments;
to optimize energy consumption;
to anticipate regulatory changes ;
to better meet the expectations of clients and contractors.
It also serves as a strategic tool for industrial management. Many companies are discovering through the carbon footprint assessment that certain areas, sometimes considered secondary, actually represent a major portion of their emissions.
In service companies
In the industry, emissions can come from many sources: energy consumption, manufacturing processes, raw materials, transportation, or waste management.
The carbon footprint allows in particular:
- to identify the most emitting processes;
- to prioritize environmental investments;
- to optimize energy consumption;
- to anticipate regulatory changes;
- to better meet the expectations of clients and contracting authorities.
It also serves as a strategic tool for industrial management. Many companies are discovering through the carbon footprint assessment that certain areas, sometimes considered secondary, actually represent a major portion of their emissions.
In service companies
Les entreprises de service pensent parfois être peu concernées par le sujet carbone car elles ne disposent pas d’usines ou de chaînes de production.
However, their impacts do indeed exist. In the tertiary sector, the main emissions often come from:
- purchases of services and equipment;
- of digital;
- business travel;
- commuting trips;
- de l’hébergement des données ;
- of premises;
- of suppliers and subcontractors.
The carbon footprint assessment then helps to structure a reduction approach tailored to the realities of the sector. It also serves as a dialogue tool with stakeholders. Clients, investors, and employees increasingly expect companies to be able to measure and manage their environmental impacts.
Why Positive Company® Considers the Carbon Footprint Assessment as Essential
At Positive Company®, we believe that the carbon footprint assessment is an essential prerequisite for structuring a credible and coherent CSR approach.
It allows organizations to better understand their actual impacts, prioritize their actions, and avoid a purely declarative or marketing approach. This is why conducting a carbon assessment is one of the necessary conditions to obtain the 2nd and 3rd star of the Positive Company® label.
Beyond a methodological requirement, this condition reflects a strong conviction: a CSR approach cannot be fully structured without a concrete measurement of the environmental impact of activities.
Measuring your carbon footprint means moving from feelings to management. It also provides stakeholders—employees, customers, suppliers, or investors—with tangible elements on which to build a sustainable progress trajectory.
Une question ?
Scope 1 includes the direct emissions from the company (heating, vehicle fleet...). Scope 2 pertains to the indirect emissions related to the energy consumed. Scope 3 covers other indirect emissions (purchases, transportation, digital, waste...) — often the majority of the total carbon footprint.
Yes. Even without a factory or production line, their emissions do indeed exist: purchasing services, digital activities, business travel, commuting, data hosting, premises, suppliers, and subcontractors.
On average every two years (biannual). Without regular updates, it becomes impossible to measure the effectiveness of the reduction actions undertaken.