Carbon footprint and Ecological

Footprint

Gabriella Chiellino
eAmbiente Srl
CO2 and Global warming

Global climate change

Increased concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere since the
revolution industry.

The temperature rise

It represents one of the most important indicators that we are
living beyond the capacity of ecosystems to absorb
disturbances.

Decreased emissions
An effort by the productive sectors to reduce emissions and the
concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is vital to combat
climate change in progress.
Consumption of resources

Population is growing
Since XX century population is growing quickly.

Life style is changing

In Europe and America expecially, people are living beyond the
capacity of ecosystems to absorb disturbances.

Resources are scarce

To make goods we need to use resources that are not always
renewable.
 The differences

CARBON FOOTPRINT
Assessment throughout the life cycle of a product / process related
to the impact category "global warming " (in terms of CO2 eq.)

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
The ecological footprint is a statistical index used to measure
request for human nature and its factories. It relates the human
consumption of natural resources with the earth's capacity to
regenerate them.

WATER FOOTPRINT
The WF is a geographically explicit indicator showing volumes of
water consumption and pollution and the locations
 FIRST PART
First part: Carbon footprint

CARBON FOOTPRINT
 Applicable law

Screening study Complete study EPD

under the rules Environmental Product
UNI EN ISO 14040:2006 Declaration
UNI EN ISO 14044:2006

Comunication

Comunication
Testing a possible third
body on internal
methodology

Comunication /
Ecodesign Certification of a possible
third body in accordance
with standard

Time + internal resources for data retrieval

 Carbon markets

BINDING
The trading of greenhouse gas emissions has been established through the EU
Directive 2003/87/EC to fulfill their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.
Annex I of Directive:
•Combustion installations exceeding 20 MW
•Petroleum Refineries
•Coke ovens
•Etc.

VOLUNTEER
There are independent verification and validation services to voluntary projects to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, for the issuance of VERs (Verified Emissions
Reductions), or "emission reduction units".

Objective: environmental communication

 What happended with CO2?

The whole life on earth is based on photosynthesis of chlorophyll:

Reactions during which green plants produce organic substances -mainly carbohydrates -
from carbon dioxide and water, in the presence of light. This series of chemical
reactions within the anabolic processes (synthesis) of carbohydrates and is totally opposed to
the reverse process of catabolisi (oxidation).

Reaction of the molecules

6 CO2 (carbon dioxide) + 6 H2O (Water) + light → C6H12O6 (glucose) + 6 O2 (Oxygen)
 And then?

The “food chain” or “net chain” (better) provides to feed

animals and the uman:
Dynamic balance

The CO2 cycle on earth (but also

water cycle, nitrogen cycle etc.)
are in dynamic balance during
the years.

Only with other sources not

renewable (fossils) this dynamic
balance is altered with many
pollution problems.
 Carbon footprint: measure

CF measures the impact that human activities have on the environment in terms of
amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide (CO2
equivalent).
Production Activities
kWh energy
m3 water Processing tonnes of CO2 equivalent
Materials / resources

Administrative
kWh energy
m3 methane

Transportation
Km covered SimaPro 7.3.0.
Analyst
Waste
Kg produced
 Carbon footprint: measure
Method of Categories of
calculation impact

Mid-Point
Evaluate the − Acidification
causes of the − Eutrophication
damage − Global Warming
Processing − Thinning of the ozone layer
− Photochemical oxidation
− Land use
− Fossil Fuels
− Ecotoxicity
− Ionizing radiation

End-Point − Human Health

SimaPro Evaluate the − Ecosystem quality
7.3.0. damage − Decay of natural
Analyst resources
 Example of results
Equivalent units
CO2 eq.
kg SO2 eq.
kg CFC-11 eq.
The results are expressed as:
"Eco-points"
Normalized equivalent units around
Example with different kind of
them, with a percentage of the total
beverages bottles! European currency.

Explanation of categories

Decay of natural resources

Ecosystem quality
Human health
 Reduce and compensate emissions

A number of tonnes of CO2

Total CO2
The calculation of carbon footprint provides tons
of CO2 equivalent produced in a year
CO2
reduced
The Company may decide to reduce emissions
with a reduction plans (technological
improvements, logistics etc.).
CO2 offset

So they may decide to compensate (offset) for

remaining emissions (in part or entirely).
 Projects

Project Choice

Forest managemet Energy saving Biogas from landfills

Purchase of credits
corresponding
1 ton = 1 credit

Emissions offset − 1 ton = 1 credit

− Public Register
Publication on the register − Credits Certificates
Cancellation of debt certificates

Environmental
Communication
 Our experience

Withdrawal of Communication on the

Calculation of Projections of the
claims and posting company website and
CO2 equivalent reduction with
to register 1.000.000 of paper
improvement
eCO2care carnet
initiatives

Calculation of CO2
equivalent to 20
emitters
 SECOND PART
Second part:
First Ecological
part: footprint
Carbon footprint

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
 Introduction

It measures the area of biologically productive land and

sea needed to regenerate the resources consumed by
a human population.
Using the ecological footprint, it is possible to
estimate how many virtual "Planet Earth" is needed
to support humanity if everybody lived according to a
certain lifestyle.
First approach
 In detail

To calculate the ecological footprint of men’s consumption (goods,cereals, meat,

fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers, legumes, etc.) you put in report the amount of
each good consumed with a
constant yield in kg / ha (kilograms per hectare).
The result is a surface.
We have different behaviour
 The situation: our world

Density of world’s population

Effective growth and

forecast of world’s
population
Why is it important?

Scenarios

We need to
do green
choices
 Methodology Overview

The 2010 National Footprint Accounts use over 5,000 data points for each country, each
year, derived from internationally recognized sources to determine the area required to
produce the biological resources a country uses and to absorb its wastes, and to
compare this with the area available.
Biocapacity is measured by calculating the amount of biologically productive land and
sea area available to provide the resources a population consumes and to absorb its
wastes, given current technology and management practices.

Equivalence factors, and the specific land

use types included in the Ecological
Footprint: cropland, grazing land, fishing
ground, forest land, carbon uptake land,
and built-up land.

DATA EQUIVALENCE
FACTORS REPORT
 Methodology Overview

An example of methodology of calculation

 Report

Regarding some studies, even with modest projections for population growth,
consumption and climate change, by 2030 humanity will need the capacity of two
Earths to absorb carbon dioxide waste and keep up with natural resource
consumption.
 Standard’s path

Global Footprint Network has released the Ecological Footprint Standards 2009 and
has begun the 2012 Standards update process.

The 2009 Standards build on the first set of internationally recognized Ecological
Footprint Standards, released in 2006, and include key updates – such as, for the
first time, providing standards and guidelines for product and organizational
Footprint assessments.

Ecological footprint is still a young method

 Problems

Both the Carbon Footprint and the Ecological footprint must develop to comply on
a global level, so that the results are actually comparable.

The drafting of standards goes in this direction, although it is also necessary to

standardize the methodology of data collection, processing not only of themselves.
Future

Environmental problems need to be measured

and possibly solved with effective methods.

Carbon footprint and Ecological footprint,

using their indicators can direct us to take
effective action to minimize impacts and
changing lifestyles, and industrial production.
 THIRD PART
Second part:
First Ecological
part: footprint
Carbon footprint

WATER FOOTPRINT
 Water Footprint

The Water Footprint (WF) is a measure of human

appropriation of freshwater resources

•Blue WF refers to consumption of blue water resources (surface

and ground water).
•Green WF is the volume of green water (rainwater) consumed,
which is particularly relevant in crop production.
•Grey WF is an indicator of the degree of freshwater pollution and
is defined as the volume of freshwater that is required to assimilate
the load of pollutants based on existing ambient water quality
standards.

The WF is a geographically explicit indicator showing volumes of

water consumption and pollution and the locations
Water Footprint
 Water Footprint - Product

• the volume of fresh water used to produce the product

• summed over the various steps of the production chain.
 when and where the water was used: a WF includes a temporal and spatial
dimension
 Water Footprint - Consumer

 the total volume of water appropriated for the production of the

goods and services consumed
 equal to the sum of the water footprints of
all goods and services consumed
 dimensions of a Water Footprint
(Volume, where, when, Type of water use)

Global average Water Footprint: 1385 m3/yr per capita

Countries United Italy Cameroon Kenya USA Canada Japan France Germany
Kingdom
Average Water Footprint 1258 2303 1245 1101 2842 2333 1379 1786 1426
(m3/yr per capita)
Part of footprint falling 75,2 60,7 5,4 17,4 20,2 20,7 76,9 46,3 68,8
outside of the country
(%)
 Water Footprint - Nation

Water footprint of national consumption

 total amount of water that is used to produce the goods and services consumed
by the inhabitants of the nation.
 two components:
 internal water footprint – inside the country.
 external water footprint – in other countries.
 Water footprint of national consumption =
= water footprint within the nation + virtual water import – virtual water export
Water Footprint - Nation
 Water Footprint

Rappresentation of virtual water balance per country and direction of gross

virtual water flows related to trade in agricultural and industrial products
over the period 1996-2005.
Only the biggest water savings (> 5 Gm3/yr) are shown.
 Water Footprint

Rappresentation of global water savings associated with international trade

in agricultural products (1996-2005).
Only the biggest water savings (> 5 Gm3/yr) are shown.
 Water Footprint - Business

 Operational water footprint

 the direct water use by the producer – for producing, manufacturing or for
supporting activities
 Supply - chain water footprint
 the indirect water use in the producer’s supply chainvirtual water import –
virtual water export
 total volume of freshwater that is used directly and indirectly to run and support
a business
 temporal and spatial dimension: when and where was the water used.
 three components:
 green: volume of rainwater consumed
 blue: volume of surface or groundwater consumed
 grey : volume of polluted water
Water Footprint
 WF and CF
Water footprint
measures freshwater appropriation
spatial and temporal dimension
actual, locally specific values
always referring to full supply-chain
focus on reducing own water footprint
(water use units are not
interchangeable)
Water footprint and carbon footprint are complementary tools
Carbon footprint
measures emission GHG
no spatial / temporal dimension
global average values
supply-chain included only in
‘scope 3 carbon accounting’
many efforts focused on
offsetting
(carbon emission units are
interchangeable)
 WF and LCA - CF

Water footprint Life Cycle Assessment

measures freshwater measures overall environmental

appropriation impact
multi-dimensional (type of water no spatial dimension
use, location, timing) weighing water volumes based on
actual water volumes, no Impacts
weighing

For companies, water footprint assessment and LCA are complementary tools.

WF assessment is a tool to support formulation of a sustainable water management

strategy in operations and supply chain
LCA is a tool to compare the overall environmental impact of different products

WF is a general indicator of water use; application of WF in inventory phase of LCA is

one particular application.
 WF Assessment

In general, the approach is based on:

And the assessment…

 WF Assessment

Sustainability of the
WFs of specific processes
Sustainability of the
Sustainability of the
cumulative WFs of specific products
water footprints in
different catchments
 WF Assessment

Step 1 – Sustainability Criteria

 Environmental
 Environmental flow requirements
 Environmental green water requirements
 Ambient water quality standards
 Social
Basic human needs – min. drink-water, food security, employm.
Rules of fairness – fair allocation, water user & water polluter
principle
 Economic
 Efficient allocation and use of water
 WF Assessment

Step 1 - Environmentale Flow requirements

 Catchment level

 Monthly level

 Generic rule of thumb: 80% of natural runoff, on a monthly basis

 Use data from generic global methodology, but replace with

better studies give better local estimates
 WF Assessment

Step 2 – Hotspots

 Environmental sustainability criteria

 Green water footprint < available green water
 Blue water footprint < available blue water
 Grey water footprint < available assimilation capacity

If we consider the Grey WF criterion:

Grey Water Footprint < runoff Assimilative capacity non fully used

Grey Water Footprint = runoff Fulle assimilative capacity of the river

used
Grey Water Footprint > runoff Pollution exceed the assimilative
capacity of the envorinment
 WF Assessment

Step 3 - 4 – Primary and secondary impacts

 Primary impacts
 Changes to hydrology
 Changes to water quality

 Secondary impacts
 Effects on abundance of certain species
 Effects on biodiversity
 Effects on human health
 Effects on employment
 Effects on distribution of welfare
 Effects on income in different sectors of economy
 ISO Standard on WF

• Water Footprint: Requirements and Guidelines”

• International standard for water footprinting (ISO 14046)

This International Standard specifies requirements and guidelines to

assess and report Water Footprint based on LCA
• Terminology, communication
• Important stages to consider
• Consistency with ISO 14000 series including environmental metrics such as
Carbon footprint, LCA (ISO14040), Greenhouse Gases quantification and
communication (ISO14064, ISO 14067) and Environmental communication
(ISO14020)
• Review/Validation
• Reporting
• Towards industry and practitioners
 ISO Standard on WF

The proposed International Standard will deliver

principles, requirements and guidelines
for a water footprint metric of
products, processes and organisations
based on the guidance of
impact assessment as given in ISO 14044

It will define how the different types of water sources (for example ground, surface,
lake, river…) should be considered, how the different types of water releases
should be considered, and how the local environmental conditions (dry areas, wet
areas) should be treated.

 For products: it will apply the life cycle approach and will be based on the same
product system as specified in ISO 14040 and ISO 14044
 For organisation: it will consider the guidance given by ISO 14064 for GHG
 The standard will also address the communication issues linked to the WF
 Shared responsability

 Consumers or consumer or environmental organizations push

businesses and governments to address water use and
impacts along supply chains

 Some businesses act voluntarily in an early stage, driven by

consumers or investors

 Governments promote businesses in an early phase and

implement regulations in a later phase
 Governments, companies, consultants and accountants use
same standard definitions and calculation methods

 International cooperation, through UN and other institutions...

 Current Development

• Increasing communication on water

Publication of « Water Footprint » results of products in the news,…
• Increasing demand for standards
E.g., “The company said it was the world’s first food company to add an H2O label to
product packaging and that it had developed its own calculation model because
no internationally established formula and product label yet exists. […] we need to
ensure that there are consistent standards across the board,” - Carbon Footprints
to Water Footprints (The New York Times, April 17 2009)
• Multitude groups active in water
 World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
 Water Footprint Network (WFN)
 UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative
 Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS)
 World Resource Institute (WRI)
 Water Environment Federation (Water Quality)
 ...
 WF reduction and offsetting


Reduce


Reduce by avoid: do not undertake water - using activities
altogether

Reduce by improved production: replace one technique by



another technique that results in a lower or even zero Water

Footprint

Offset

Compensate the residual water footprint by making a reasonable

investment in establishing or supporting projects that aim at a sustainable,
equitable and efficient use of water in the catchment where the residual
Water Footprint is located
WF reduction and offsetting
 Ultimate perspective

Agricolture Industry

Decrease greenwater footprint (m3/ton)

by increasing green water productivity
Green
(ton/me) in both rain - fed and irrigated Not relevant
WF
agricolture. Increase total production
from rain - fed agricolture

Decrease blue water footprint (m3/ton)

Zero blue water footprint: no losses
by increasing blue water productivity
trough evaporation - full recycling - only
(ton/m3) in irrigated agricolture.
Blue WF blue water footprint related to the
Decrease ratio blue/green water
incorporation of water into a product
footprint. Decrease global blue water
cannot be avoided
footprint (e.g. by 50%)

Reduced use of artificial fertilisers and
pesticides; more effective application.
Grey WF
Grey water footprint can go to zero
through organic farming
Zero grey water footprint no pollution - full
recycling, recapturing heat from heated
effluents and treatment of remaining
return flows
 Reducing humanity WF


Consumers


Reduction of the direct Water Fooprint


water saving toilet, shower-head, etc.


Reduction of the indirect Water Fooprint


substitution of a consumer product that has a large water footprint by a
different type of product that has a smaller water footprint

substitution of a consumer product that has a large water footprint by the
same product that is derived from another source with smaller water footprint

Ask product transparency from businesses and regulation from



governments
 Reducing humanity WF


Companies


Shared terminology & calculation standards


Product transparency

water footprint reporting / disclosure

labelling of products

certification of businesses


Quantitative footprint reduction targets – benchmarking


Reduction of the operational water footprint

water saving in own operations


Reduction of the supply-chain water footprint

influencing suppliers

changing to other suppliers

transform business model in order to incorporate or better control supply
chains
 Reducing humanity WF


Investors


Reduce risk of investments:


physical risk formed by water shortages or pollution

risk of damaged corporate image

regulatory risk

financial risk

Demand accounting and substantiated quantitative water footprint



reduction targets from companies

 Reducing humanity WF


Governments


Embed water footprint assessment in national water policy making


Promote coherence between water and other governmental policies


Reduce the own organizational water footprint

reduce the water footprint of public services


Promote product transparency


support or force businesses to make annual water footprint accounts and
to implement water footprint reduction measures

e.g. through promoting a water label for water-intensive products

e.g. through water-certification of businesses
 International cooperation


International protocol on water pricing


Minimum water rights


Tradable water footprint permits


Water - labelling of water-intensive products


Water-certification of industries and retailers


International nutrient housekeeping


Shared guidelines on water-neutrality for businesses
Initiatives
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