Carbon Footprinting 101 April 22, 2020 Housekeeping All attendees - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Carbon Footprinting 101

April 22, 2020

Housekeeping

• All attendees are muted
• Q&A session at the end
• Please submit any questions to

the GoToWebinar Questions box

• Webinar slides and recording

will be sent to all registrants

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Welcome

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Alexzandria Chalmers Member Services Coordinator Ryan Cassutt Voluntary Reporting Manager Chase Sherwood Verification Program Coordinator Michelle Zilinskas Registry Services Senior Manager

Agenda

• Introduction to The Climate Registry (TCR) and the Carbon

Footprint Registry (CFR)

• What is a carbon footprint, and what are the benefits of

reporting?

• Carbon Footprint Reporting Process
• 1. Define the boundaries of your inventory
• 2. Identify facilities based on those boundaries
• 3. Collect data on emissions sources
• 4. Quantify and report your emissions
• 5. Verification (optional)
• Questions

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The Climate Registry (TCR)

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“To empower our generation to reduce its carbon footprint and build climate ambition”

• Designs, builds, and operates greenhouse gas

reporting programs and registries

• Provide resources & services to assist
• rganizations to measure, report and verify the

greenhouse gases in their operations

The Carbon Footprint Registry (CFR)

• Alignment with international best practice
• Help Desk available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
• Additional reporting training, calculation tools, and guidance
• Recognition and networking opportunities
• Access TCR’s cloud-based emissions calculation, reporting and

verification software (CRIS)

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Climate Registry Information System (CRIS)

• www.cris4.org
• CRIS User Guide

& training available

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Climate Registered Recognition Program

• Highlight your achievements

by earning one of five recognition tiers!

• Flexible recognition

achievements for every level

• f reporting and verifying
• Set and achieve goals to

achieve higher levels

• Statuses last for one year

from time of achievement

• To apply for a status, please

submit an application

Reporting Protocols, Metrics & Guidance

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Resources

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www.theclimateregistry.org www.cris4.org

What is a carbon footprint?

The total amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere by an organization or company, either directly or indirectly. Greenhouse gases include:

• Carbon dioxide (CO2)
• Methane (CH4)
• Nitrous oxide (N2O)
• Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
• Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
• Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
• Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3)

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Benefits of GHG Reporting

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Be more competitive Be prepared for future climate policy Be a leader in the low-carbon economy Track your success

Measuring your emissions will help you save money and become more efficient Gain advantage for future carbon market or regulation Be seen as a leader to vendors, customers, and other key stakeholders Set a baseline and track annual progress toward climate goals

Reporting Process Overview

Overview of Reporting Process

• 1. Define

reporting boundaries

• 2. Identify

facilities based on your boundaries

• 3. Organize

and collect data on emissions sources

• 4. Quantify

and report your emissions 5. Verification (optional)

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Define your organization’s boundaries

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Organizational Reporting

The reporting boundary may be a subset of the

• rganizational boundary.

GRP B-5

Organizational Boundary GRP B-1

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Operational Control

Full authority to introduce and implement operating policies

Financial Control

Ability to direct financial policies to gain economic benefit

Equity Share

Reflects activities that are wholly or partially owned, by share

Equity Share GRP B-2

• Report GHG emissions from

activities according to your

• rganization’s share of equity in

each activity

• Reflects economic interest
• Organizations that choose this

approach may report emissions from sources outside of their control

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Example: Company A Organizational Boundaries

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Company A has:

• 2 manufacturing plants
• 1 warehouse
• 1 leased office space
• 1 vehicle fleet

Which facilities should Company A include in its inventory under:

a) The operational control approach?

Example: Company A Organizational Boundaries

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Company A has:

• 2 manufacturing plants
• 1 warehouse
• 1 leased office space
• 1 vehicle fleet

Which facilities should Company A include in its inventory under:

b) The financial control approach?

Reporting Boundaries GRP B-2

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• Geography/Business Units
• Reporting Year
• Greenhouse Gases
• GHG Sources

Reporting boundaries include:

• Complete
• Self-Defined

Reporting boundaries can be:

Geographic Boundaries GRP B-3

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The spatial limit of your carbon footprint

• Default boundary for complete

reporters: Worldwide

• May limit boundary to a specific

country, region, state/territory, or set

• f facilities

Reporting Period GRP B-7

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• Emissions are reported on an annual basis
• Reporting Year (RY) defined as
• Calendar Year
• r
• Fiscal Year
• Organizations can switch from calendar to

fiscal year, but should be consistent with base years

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) GRP B-3

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Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Greenhouse Gases include:

Methane (CH4) Nitrous oxide (N2O) Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3)

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NF3

Source: Adapted from WRI/WBCSD GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Protocol

• Scope 1 - Direct
• Scope 2 - Indirect

(Purchased Energy)

• Scope 3 – Other

Indirect Biogenic CO2 is reported separately from Scopes Your organization’s Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions are another

• rganization’s Scope 1

emissions.

GHG Sources

GRP B-5

GHG Sources GRP B-3

“Complete” GHG inventories include all “relevant” sources. The Carbon Footprint Registry defines relevant sources as:

• All Scope 1 and 2 emissions
• Including both location-based and market-based Scope 2 totals
• Combustion-based direct biogenic emissions
• Combustion-based indirect biogenic emissions associated

with the consumption of energy

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Review: Define reporting boundary

✓Determine control methodology

• Operational, Financial, Equity Share (or any combination)

✓Define geographic boundaries and time period for Reporting Year (RY) ✓Complete reporters will include:

• Scope 1 & Scope 2, including both Scope 2 methods (location- and

market-based)

• Direct and indirect emissions of CO2 from biomass combustion
• All seven GHGs: CO2, CH4, N2O, NF3, SF6, HFCs, PFCs (as relevant)

✓Explain any exclusions on the Self-Defined Boundary Form

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Steps of the Reporting Process

• 1. Define

reporting boundaries

• 2. Identify

facilities based on your boundaries

• 3. Organize

and collect data on emissions sources

• 4. Quantify

and report your emissions 5. Verification (optional)

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What is a “facility"? GRP B-8

Generally, a facility is a single physical premise where GHG emitting activities take place.

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Facility Types

Stationary Facility Commercial Building Mobile Fleet Aircraft Flights Special Facilities

Identify facilities based on your boundary

There are two ways to organize your facilities.

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1 2

Identify facility based on a single physical premise Aggregate emissions into facility categories

What is a “source”?

Generally, the physical object or activity that emits specific greenhouse gas emissions.

• An individual factory is a “facility,” while a boiler located in that

factory is a “source” of emissions.

• Reporters may aggregate Multiple sources at a facility may be

aggregated and reported as a single emissions total, but this is not as transparent.

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Each facility has one or more emissions sources that emit greenhouse gases.

Facilities and Sources

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Southern California Water Agency

Headquarters Building– LA County Electricity for lighting, computers, etc. purchased from SCE Boilers – natural gas purchased from SoCal Gas Refrigerators – refrigerant leakage Forklifts – propane

Source Entity Facility Source Source Source

Steps of the Reporting Process

• 1. Define

reporting boundaries

• 2. Identify

facilities based on your boundaries

• 3. Organize

and collect data on emissions sources

• 4. Quantify

and report your emissions 5. Verification (optional)

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Scope 1 – Direct GHG Emissions

• Stationary Combustion emissions resulting from the combustion of

fuel in stationary equipment, such as boilers or generators

• Mobile Combustion emissions from vehicles and equipment
• Fugitive Emissions – intentional or unintentional releases that do not

pass through a vent

• SF6 from electrical equipment, HFCs from refrigeration or air conditioning
• Process Emissions from physical and chemical processes other than

fuel combustion

• GHGs from cement manufacturing

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Example Sources

Scope 2 – Indirect GHG Emissions

Indirect GHG emissions associated with the consumption of purchased or acquired electricity, heating, cooling, or steam. Scope 2 emissions are reported using both location- and market-based methods

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Example Sources

• Purchased electricity and/or steam
• District heating and/or district cooling

Scope 3 – All Indirect Emissions Not in Scope 2 (optional)

• Employee commuting
• Business air travel
• Downstream activities, such as waste disposal

Note: TCR members can optionally report Scope 3 emissions, but do not have to report all categories or all sources within a category.

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Example Sources

Biogenic CO2

Biogenic CO2 is generated during the combustion or decomposition of biologically based matter

• Required to report both direct and indirect biogenic

CO2 emissions separate from the Scopes

• CH4 and N2O emissions from biomass combustion

are reported as part of Scope 1 emissions

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Example Sources

• Combustion of captured methane, biodiesel fuel, or wood
• Purchased electricity from landfill gas

Where should I look for this data?

• Bulk fuel purchases
• Continues Emissions

Monitoring Systems

• Manufacturer information (e.g.

refrigerator label)

• Fuel usage logs
• Annual mileage records
• Maintenance records
• Air permits
• Accounting records
• Fleet management records

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Scope 1 Sources

Where should I look for this data?

• Landlord/building management
• Utility bills
• Information from utility provider
• EPA data
• Green power contract
• Energy Attribute Certificate

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Scope 2 Sources & Emission Factors

Employee commuting or business travel

• Expense reports
• Annual survey
• Corporate travel surveys or

tracking systems

Scope 3 Sources (optional)

Steps of the Reporting Process

• 1. Define

reporting boundaries

• 2. Identify

facilities based on your boundaries

• 3. Organize

and collect data on emissions sources

• 4. Quantify

and report your emissions 5. Verification (optional)

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Calculation Options GRP C-2

• Calculation-based methodology
• Use activity data and emission factors to measure emissions
• Ex: gallons of gasoline times emission factor
• Direct measurement
• Measure emissions directly through monitoring equipment
• Ex: continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS), power plants,

landfill gas collection system

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Calculation-Based Methodology

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3 key data types necessary to calculate GHG emissions

CO2e GHGs

x EF =

x EF x GWP =

Activity Data Quantity of fuel or material that emits GHGs when used Emission Factor (EF) Converts activity data into amount of GHGs Global Warming Potential (GWP) Converts GHG emissions into CO2e values

Measurement-Based Methodology

• Direct measurement with a CEMS
• Measured fuel characteristics
• Combine measured data and default

emission factors

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Options for Reporting Emissions

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• To use the CRIS calculator:

CRIS can help you complete these calculations, as shown below. ▪ To pre-calculate emissions data:

Simplified Estimation Methods

• If you don’t have enough data to complete the GRP calculations
• utlined for one of your sources, you can use a simplified

estimation method (SEM).

• SEMs must be conservative estimations using upper-bound

assumptions and identified as SEMs in CRIS

• SEMs may not make up more than 10% of the total Scope 1,

Scope 2 and direct and indirect biogenic emissions

• Significance must be evaluated against both location- and market-

based totals for Scope 2

• SEMs from multiple facilities and sources may be aggregated

into a single facility

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GRP B-5

Miniscule Sources GRP B-7

• Emission sources with small quantity of emissions, that may

represent a high reporting burden

• E.g. handheld fire extinguishers, refrigerants in office water coolers
• Ability to exclude depends on sector
• Complete the Exclusion of Miniscule Sources Form in CRIS
• Members may request TCR approval for a new miniscule

source for their sector

• Contact the Help Desk

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Scope 2 Calculation Methods

• 1. Gather data for Scope 2 sources (electricity, heating, steam,

and cooling)

• 2. Choose the most applicable emissions factor from the

emission factor hierarchies for both methods from each facility where you report Scope 2 emissions

• 3. Use CRIS to calculate emissions, or calculate offline

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Steps to quantify Scope 2 emissions:

Location-Based Method GRP C-11

• Reflects emissions as they occur on

the local grid

• Primarily uses grid-average

emission factors

• I.e. emission factors reflecting

emissions profile of power consumed in region

• Reflects overall fuel/generation mix of

power in region

• Direct line transfers in certain cases
• Ex: landfill waste-to-energy

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• Reflects emissions associated with choice

you make about energy supply or purchase

• Allows you to claim the specific emission

rate associated with energy purchases

• Emission factors specific to renewable

energy purchases:

• RECs
• PPAs
• Utility-specific emission factors

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Market-Based Method GRP C-11

RECs and Offsets

• Commonly purchased by organizations to help meet their GHG

reduction goals

• Have different eligibility criteria and are applied to inventories in

different ways

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Renewable Energy Credits

Scope 2 (market-based)

Offsets

Any Scope (usually Scope 1)

GRP C-15 GRP E-2

Steps of the Reporting Process

• 1. Define

reporting boundaries

• 2. Identify

facilities based on your boundaries

• 3. Organize

and collect data on emissions sources

• 4. Quantify

and report your emissions 5. Verification (optional)

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Verification Overview

• A third-party review of your GHG inventory by a Registry-

approved verification body.

• Confirms that your GHG report conforms to TCR’s General

Reporting Protocol and meets a minimum quality standard (at least 95% accurate)

• Third-party verification is required for publication of emissions

inventories and performance metrics to the public reports page.

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What is third-party verification?

Verification Benefits

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Why verify an inventory? Benefits include:

Ensures conformance with the General Reporting Protocol Improves credibility of data with key stakeholders Identify reduction

• pportunities from an

accurate baseline Improve internal data management and processes Required for recognition

• pportunities

Before you get started, you should:

✓Note the Help Desk contact information

• help@theclimateregistry.org / (866) 523-0764 x3

✓Make sure you’re on our Members-only email list ✓Know your “Green Team” ✓Know where you will find and store your data ✓Bookmark or download relevant resources ✓Decide if your organization will aim to verify

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Q&A Session

THANK YOU