Carbon footprint

What is a carbon footprint?

It is an environmental indicator that measures the total amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) produced by a specific activity. Using an equivalencies calculator, it measures CO emissions and the impact they have in CO. It also includes other GHGs: carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO) and non-methane(CH) volatile organic compounds (NMVOC).

What is it used for?

The most common measurement used is tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, or tCO. It estimates the impact activities have on atmospheric air, even if they do not necessarily release this molecule into the atmosphere. The joint goal of our industry — in line with the 2030 Plan and a decarbonized and circular economy — is to reduce CO emissions and, therefore, reduce the world’s carbon footprint.

Since 2009, we have been auditing our total greenhouse gas emissions (calculating their equivalency intCO) with different GHG-measuring indicators (depending on the activity to measure): Scope 1 and 2for our direct activities and Scope 3 for activities derived from our value chain:

• Scope 1. Direct emissions: emissions from sources controlled by the company. They proceed from fuel combustion from stationary equipment, diffuse emissions such as biogas emissions from a landfill, and fugitive emissions (refrigerants).
• Scope 2. Indirect emissions: emissions resulting from the consumption of electricity purchased from other companies which produce or control it. Every year we increase our 100% renewable energy sources to reduce these numbers.
• Scope 3. Value chain: emissions derived from transportation and distribution or sales processes. We calculate them following the Corporate Value Chain Accounting and Reporting Standard, published by GHG Protocol.

The sum of Scope 1&2&3 is equal to the company’s total carbon footprint.