A carbon footprint can be calculated either for a whole company or for individual products. It expresses the amount of carbon emissions caused by a company throughout a specified time frame or by a product during its life cycle.
The Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) is calculated according to international standards, usually for a calendar year or a business year. The evaluation includes all carbon emissions caused by the company itself as well as related upstream or downstream processes.
Direct emissions include, for example, those caused by the combustion of fuels. Indirect emissions arise, for example, from the generation of purchased energy or from corporate activities along the value chain. The calculation therefore takes into account, among many other factors, the production and transport of raw or auxiliary materials, business trips and the daily commute of employees.
The Product Carbon Footprint
Similar to the carbon footprint of a company, the carbon footprint of a service or product (Product Carbon Footprint, PCF) can also be quantified. To do this, a functional unit must first be defined that describes what exactly is being examined.
By defining system boundaries, it is determined which life cycle phases and processes are included in the calculation. One approach is to consider all CO2 emissions from raw material extraction through transport, production and packaging to delivery to the customer. This principle is often called "cradle-to-customer". Alternatively, there is the "cradle-to-customer plus end-of-life" approach, which adds all emissions that occur during the disposal of the product after its use. If the calculation also includes the CO2 emissions that occur during the use or application phase of the product, it is called "cradle-to-grave".
Identifying and implementing savings potentials
All of these calculations necessitate the collection of extremely detailed and extensive data. However, the effort is worthwhile. Because determining a company's or its products' CO2 footprint allows it to identify the areas where the majority of emissions occur in order to derive and implement CO2 reduction strategies.
Sustainability is a top priority at monta, which is why we are continuously working on implementing internal energy-saving programmes. The effectiveness of our ongoing efforts to reduce CO2 emissions is demonstrated by our ISO 50001 energy certification.
With monta Greenline tapes, we take it one step further and, since 2021, have calculated the CO2 emissions of all relevant tapes following the „cradle-to-customer plus waste“ approach in accordance with the GHG-Protocol. For all unavoidable emissions, we financially support certified carbon offset projects.
If you have any questions about sustainability at monta, write to us.