Implementation of the harmonised model for carbon footprint calculation on example of the energy institute in Croatia

Abstract

The effects of climate change on Earth already exist in different forms – as an increase in global average temperatures, as a sea level rise or as extreme weather events, and it is necessary to take significant measures to mitigate and adapt to the climate change. One of the tools that can help in attempts to mitigate climate change is the use of carbon footprint concept, as a measure of the greenhouse gas emissions. Since there are different approaches, it is necessary and possible to establish a harmonised approach for calculating the organisations’ carbon footprint, in order to obtain comparable results and benchmarks for different kinds of organisations. The Croatian version of the Bilan Carbone model, fully in accordance with appropriate international standards, with country-specific emission factors database, was tested on the case of the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar for the period 2015-2017. The carbon footprint for 2017 was 650.6 tonnes or 7.31 tonnes per employee of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, with dominant shares of people transport (59%) and energy sources (22%). This harmonised approach for carbon footprint calculation will lead to comparable results for the same kinds or groups of organisations and therewith, lighten the process of establishing the carbon footprint mitigation strategies.