Climate discussions often include specialized terminology, which can make the topic difficult to follow. What does carbon dioxide equivalent mean? And how is a carbon handprint different from a carbon footprint? In this blog series, we explain the most common climate terms in a clear, easy-to-understand way, without the unnecessary jargon.
Keeping up with climate discussions is becoming increasingly challenging as new terms continue to emerge. To help make sense of the terminology, we created the two-part climate glossary blog series, where we explain key climate concepts in a clear and accessible way. The first part focuses on the terminology used in carbon footprint accounting, while the second covers terms related to emissions reduction targets. By the end of this blog series, you’ll have a solid understanding of the most important climate concepts and find it easier to follow climate discussions. Below, you’ll find the key terms related to carbon footprint accounting, along with clear explanations of what they mean.
What is a carbon footprint?
The carbon footprint describes the climate load caused by a specific configurable entity. The carbon footprint can be calculated, for example, for a company, municipality, investment, product, or service.
The climate load is caused by the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CO4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) into the atmosphere. The carbon footprint is expressed in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), considering the different global warming effects of different greenhouse gases.
When determining the carbon footprint, all direct and indirect emissions during a life cycle associated with a specific entity need to be taken into account. For example, in the case of a company or municipality, the carbon footprint can be determined per selected unit of time, such as a year.
The carbon footprint is expressed in terms of mass, either in tonnes, kilograms, or grams.
What is carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)?
The carbon dioxide equivalent describes the combined global warming potential of different greenhouse gas emissions. Different greenhouse gases have different global warming potentials (GWPs). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) publishes GWP indices for greenhouse gases in its assessment reports.
The GWPs of other greenhouse gases are proportional to the global warming potential of carbon dioxide, set at 1. For example, the global warming potential of methane relative to carbon dioxide over 100 years is 28.
What is an emission factor?
An emission factor quantifies the emissions associated with the production of a product or service. The emission factor is used to relate the sum of emissions to, for example, the product’s production volume or monetary value. Emission factors are used to determine the carbon footprint.
Emission factors can be of many types. They may describe the use phase or life-cycle emissions, include only carbon dioxide emissions or all greenhouse gas emissions in CO2 equivalents, and may sometimes be average values or represent a specific period of time. For example, the emission factor for electricity generation is often expressed in g CO2/kWh and the emission factor for food in kg CO2eq./kg.
What does emission intensity describe?
Emission intensity describes how much emissions are generated per unit of a given measure. It can, for example, be used to compare the amount of greenhouse gas emissions relative to a company’s revenue. Other reference measures may include a company’s energy consumption or, in the case of cities, the number of residents.
What is a carbon handprint?
A carbon handprint describes the positive climate impacts of a particular product or service throughout its life cycle. A positive carbon handprint arises from the fact that using the solution provided reduces the carbon footprint of someone else (usually the customer). On the other hand, reducing the carbon footprint of one’s own operations does not increase the carbon handprint.
The carbon handprint of the same product or service may be different depending on the situation, for example, in different markets. Therefore the carbon handprint is always determined in relation to the selected baseline.
VTT and LUT University have developed a carbon handprint calculation methodology and published a guide. According to the guide, a positive carbon handprint can be achieved, for example, by improving material or energy efficiency, replacing non-renewable materials or energy with renewables, extending product lifetime, reducing waste and reducing losses, or capturing and storing carbon dioxide.
The carbon handprint can be used, for example, to communicate the climate benefits of a product or service to customers or other stakeholders.
Want to understand the industry discussion better?
Check out our trainings and the another part of this blog series on climate goals or contact us to find out more about our services.
