Activity data is the data associated with a specific activity that generates GHG emissions (e.g., kWh of electricity), and it’s commonly used when calculating GHG emissions.
1 kWh of electricity = 0,3 kgCO2e
100 kWh x 0,3 kgCO2e/kWh = 30 0,3 kgCO2e
Carbon credit is a convertible and transferable instrument representing GHG emissions that have been reduced, avoided, or removed through projects that are verified according to recognized quality standards.
Carbon offsets are an amount of carbon sequestered, consumed, or somehow removed from the atmosphere. The company can fund initiatives that decrease, avoid, eliminate, or sequester carbon dioxide through a voluntary carbon market. Carbon offsets are sometimes called VERs (voluntary emission reductions), CRTs (carbon reduction tons), and ERTs (emission reduction tons).
Carbon footprint is the quantity of GHGs expressed in CO2e emitted into the atmosphere by an individual, organization, process, product, or event from within a specified boundary.
CO2 equivalent (CO2e) is a global unit of measurement to indicate the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of each greenhouse gas. It is used to measure different greenhouse gases on a common basis.
Direct GHG emissions are emissions from sources owned or controlled by the reporting company.
Emission factors expressed in CO2e/activity data allows GHG emissions to be estimated from a unit of available activity data (e.g., tons of fuel consumed, tons of product produced) and absolute GHG emissions (most commonly tCO2e or kgCO2e).
Fossil fuels are non-renewable carbon-based energy sources such as solid fuels, natural gas, and oil.
Fugitive emissions are not physically controlled but result from the intentional or unintentional releases of GHGs. They commonly arise from the production, processing, storage, and use of fuels and other chemicals, often through joints, seals, packing, gaskets, etc.
Global Warming potential (GWP) is a ratio that stands for the effect of the quantity of GHGs on climate change compared with an equal amount of carbon dioxide.
Indirect GHG emissions are emissions that are a consequence of the operations of the reporting company but occur at sources owned or controlled by another company.
Intensity ratios express GHG impact per unit of activity or unit of economic value (e.g., tons of CO2 emissions per unit of electricity generated).
Life cycle analysis assesses the sum of a product’s effects (e.g., GHG emissions) at each step in its life cycle, including resource extraction, production, use, and waste disposal.
Mobile combustion is burning fuels by transportation devices such as cars, trucks, trains, airplanes, ships, etc.
Non-renewable energy cannot be identified as being derived from renewable sources. Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal are non-renewable resources.
Paris Agreement is a United Nations agreement made in Paris 2015 that sets a long-term goal to guide all nations. The objective is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, ideally to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Renewable energy is energy taken from infinite sources. For example, renewable energy covers wind, solar (solar thermal and solar photovoltaic) and geothermal energy, ambient energy, tide, wave, and other ocean energy, hydropower, biomass, landfill gas, sewage treatment plant gas, and biogas.