Establishing a business or Entity Value Chain GHG Scope 1,2 & 3 emissions requires thorough understanding of different stages of product life cycle evolution – called cradle-to-grave life cycle stages. This includes material extraction from earth or agricultural output to different stages of material formulation into a product, product use and ultimate disposal after end of useful life. Generally, multiple-entities or businesses are involved in evolution of a product. For example, from cradle to gate for initial entity or business (mining, oil drilling or coffee beans growing), gate to gate for a second entity 1 (ore processing to metal, crude oil refining to fossil fuel products, coffee beans processed to brands products), gate to consumer (manufactured car or washing machine, gasoline or diesel product, coffee brand consumption), gate-to-grave (consumer to junk-yard or landfill). An entity life-cycle up-stream scope 3 GHG would be from cradle to gate of the entity.
Generally, an intermediate entities or businesses GHG Scope 3 of interest are their upstream life cycle GHG and Scope 3 of their operation since they can influence these Scope 3 GHG de-carbonization. Similarly, for end-use consumer GHG Scope-3 from cradle-to their gate are of interest. However, regulators, product research and development, or full life cycle impact analysis overall cradle-to-grave GHG Scope 3 are of interest.
As a start, Life Cycle Cradle to Gate, Gate-to-Gate or Gate-to-Grave GHG Scope 3 can be developed using process flow diagrams of different stages of product manufacturing and developing spread sheets covering different process and generic GHG emission factors available from literature (Eco-invent, EU, US EPA, UK-Defra, Gabi, and so forth). The spread sheet based GHG Scope 3 can be further refined to supplier specific GHG emission factors. This approach provides more in-sight of their supply chain GHG significant areas of risk and opportunities for GHG reductions (low-hanging fruit to more advance projects)
Using GHG Management Information System (GHGMIS) for Carbon Accounting is Robust and Efficient
Spread sheet based GHG Scope 1, 2 & 3 system of a business or entity is very difficult to maintain especially if a company has numerous facilities spread across country or globally. Therefore, it is wise-investment to develop your GHG Management Information System (GHGMIS) on a highly robust, flexible and reputable software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform. This will alleviate the burden of collecting data and compiling GHG every year on hundreds of Excel spread sheets which are difficult to maintain and that can break. With GHGMIS while data is entered and automatically loaded at different facilities located in numerous states, Provinces and countries, the internet based GHGMIS accurately compiles and tracks all GHG emissions centrally generating customized reports in regulatory reporting formats conforming to different reporting protocols such the Canadian Federal and Provincial reporting, US EPA eGGRT reporting, TCR, CDP, etc.
Moreover, full carbon accounting system and carbon net-zero strategy can be configured on GHGIMS.
The benefits of carbon accounting on EMIS platform are all GHG data from respective facilities to the corporate level will be available in reports. These reports can be used for regulatory GHGRP reporting, Corporate GHG risk and opportunities assessment, GHG tracking for offset projects, carbon credits and GHG reduction planning.
We at Polar Design Studio can build our clients’ Cradle-to-grave, cradle-to-gate, gate-to-gate and gate-to-grave LCI baseline and reduction strategies using actual data of their facilities and their supplier facilities.
We can further develop web-based GHGMIS for our clients and integrate their product and services overall LCI foot-print as real-time basis in their custom-built GHGMIS system including reduction strategies are built on realistic, practical way that are integrated in to a company’s financial model.