Carbon footprint assessment

A diagnostic method that consists of accounting for greenhouse gas emissions from readily available data, in order to arrive at a sound evaluation of the direct and indirect emissions caused by an activity. It applies to any activity: industrial or service companies, public bodies, local authorities, and even the territory they manage. For companies, several approaches are possible. The internal approach covers emissions directly linked to the production process and to heating the premises. The intermediate approach widens the assessment to include, on top of internal emissions, those produced by the energy suppliers the company buys from, as well as those linked to the movement of goods internally (production logistics) and towards customers (distribution logistics), and to the work-related travel of employees and customers. The global approach covers the emissions linked to all the activities, entities and companies making up the supply chain.