CARBON FOOTPRINT DEPLOYMENT

Abstract

ABSTRACT Carbon footprint (CFP) is defined, "as sum of greenhouse gas emissions and removals in a product system, expressed as CO2 equivalents and based on a life cycle assessment using the single impact category of climate change". In short, net emissions of green house gasses, this is not so easy to understand and CFP management may become one of those ratios used by technicians and managers but far away from company's bottom line. Despite of the increasing interest of CFP issues, in their different aspects, both regarding energy consumptions and brand image, the authors have not found a method to deploy CFP management, company wide. A management tool to include CFP management into the control system should be very valuable for companies, for the people in charge; this tool will allow, also, supporting further decisions about CFP. Authors propose a systematic approach to CFP deployment through any company or organization, the main reason for this proposal is the use of CFP related information to be done. In fact, nowadays, many organizations of different types are moving on to calculate, to certify and to manage CFP, supported by world class entities. The proposed way of acting, CFP deployment top down, leads to the optimization of CFP business in three complementary fields, energy and transport cost savings, environmental issues and, even more, social responsibility business.