Calculating the Carbon Footprint of a Small Business

Understanding your small business’s carbon footprint is an essential step toward reducing its environmental impact. By measuring greenhouse gas emissions, you can make informed decisions about how to operate more sustainably. Here are three practical examples to help you calculate your small business’s carbon footprint.

Example 1: Office Energy Consumption

Context

A small marketing agency wants to assess its carbon footprint based on energy consumption in its office. This includes electricity used for lighting, computers, and other equipment.

To calculate the carbon footprint, begin by gathering your monthly electricity bills for the past year. Look for the total kilowatt-hours (kWh) used.

Example

1. Monthly Usage: The agency uses an average of 1,500 kWh per month.
2. Annual Usage: 1,500 kWh x 12 months = 18,000 kWh per year.
3. Carbon Emission Factor: The carbon emission factor for electricity varies by region. For this example, we’ll use 0.92 kg CO2 per kWh (this number can be found on local environmental agency websites).
4. Calculation: 18,000 kWh x 0.92 kg CO2/kWh = 16,560 kg CO2 per year.

Notes

• To reduce this footprint, the agency could consider switching to energy-efficient lighting and appliances or investing in renewable energy sources.
• Keep in mind that different regions have different carbon emission factors, so ensure you use the correct one for your location.

Example 2: Business Travel

Context

A local consultancy firm takes frequent flights for client meetings. Tracking the carbon footprint of business travel is essential for understanding its environmental impact.

To calculate the carbon footprint of air travel, you’ll need to know the distance traveled and the number of flights taken.

Example

1. Flights Taken: The firm took 10 round-trip flights per year.
2. Average Distance: Each round trip is approximately 1,000 miles.
3. Carbon Emission Factor: The average carbon emission factor for air travel is about 0.24 kg CO2 per passenger mile.

4. Calculation:

   • Total distance: 10 flights x 1,000 miles = 10,000 miles.
   • Total emissions: 10,000 miles x 0.24 kg CO2/mile = 2,400 kg CO2 per year.

Notes

• To lessen the carbon footprint, the firm could explore virtual meeting options or select more eco-friendly travel alternatives, such as trains, where feasible.
• Using a carbon footprint calculator specifically designed for flights can help refine these estimates.

Example 3: Product Manufacturing

Context

A small bakery wants to calculate the carbon footprint of its production process, including ingredient sourcing, baking, and delivery.

This example will show how to measure emissions from both direct and indirect sources.

Example

1. Ingredient Sourcing: The bakery uses 20,000 lbs of ingredients annually.

   • Average emissions for ingredient production is about 0.5 kg CO2 per lb.
   • Total emissions for ingredients: 20,000 lbs x 0.5 kg CO2/lb = 10,000 kg CO2.

2. Baking Process: The oven uses about 3,000 kWh of energy annually.

   • Emissions from baking: 3,000 kWh x 0.92 kg CO2/kWh = 2,760 kg CO2.

3. Delivery: The bakery delivers 1,000 orders per year, averaging 5 miles per delivery.

   • Carbon emission factor for delivery vehicles is about 0.4 kg CO2 per mile.
   • Total emissions from delivery: 1,000 orders x 5 miles/order x 0.4 kg CO2/mile = 2,000 kg CO2.

4. Total Calculation: 10,000 kg CO2 (ingredients) + 2,760 kg CO2 (baking) + 2,000 kg CO2 (delivery) = 14,760 kg CO2 per year.

Notes

• The bakery can reduce its carbon footprint by sourcing local ingredients, optimizing baking processes, and using eco-friendly delivery options.
• Regularly reviewing and adjusting these figures can help the bakery monitor its progress in reducing emissions over time.