Corporate Carbon Footprint
Calculating a carbon footprint represents significant opportunities for companies and is the first step towards reducing and offsetting their greenhouse gas emissions.
La huella de carbono de la organización es un indicador ambiental que mide la totalidad de gases de efecto invernadero (GEI) emitidos como consecuencia directa o indirecta del desarrollo de las actividades de una organización.
An organisation’s carbon footprint is an environmental indicator that measures the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting directly or indirectly from its activities. Carbon footprinting goes beyond measuring carbon dioxide () emissions; it accounts for all GHGs, converting the quantities of each gas into equivalents ().
Benefits
Calculating a carbon footprint presents major opportunities for companies, serving as the first step in reducing and/or offsetting GHG emissions.
- GHG Emissions Reduction: The carbon footprint quantifies GHG emissions and identifies their sources, helping to better define reduction targets and establish more effective mitigation measures.
- Cost Reduction: Most opportunities to reduce GHG emissions are linked to lowering energy and resource consumption, leading to direct financial savings for the company.
- Enhanced Corporate Image and Positioning: Companies that effectively and publicly commit to emission reductions can strengthen their corporate image and brand prestige, improving their standing with suppliers, clients, consumers, and authorities.
- Access to New Markets: Carbon footprinting helps identify business opportunities and new markets linked to GHG emissions, attracting investors and environmentally conscious customers.
- Stimulating Innovation: Setting emission reduction targets can drive research and development into more efficient processes and eco-innovation, opening new market niches and offering competitive advantages.
- Preparation for Future Regulations: Establishing emission reduction goals and strategies provides invaluable experience for when governments implement mandatory reduction regulations.
- Participation in Voluntary Programmes: There is a growing number of voluntary programmes designed to encourage and support companies in launching and monitoring GHG reduction processes. Participation provides public recognition and can credit early efforts when future regulations are introduced.
Solutions At AIMPLAS, we offer companies the following services:
- Calculation of the corporate carbon footprint, including Scopes 1+2 and/or 3.
- Development of a carbon footprint reduction plan.
- Preparation of a verifiable report for communicating results.
- External verification by an accredited body.
- Support in the registration process for the carbon footprint and reduction commitments to obtain the MITECO/MITERD seal.
How to get certified?
Companies can communicate their corporate carbon footprint externally, either through their own communication strategy or by participating in specific programmes for reporting GHG emissions. The Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO/MITERD) manages a GHG programme known as the Carbon footprint, offsetting and carbon dioxide absorption project register. This is a voluntary registry designed to encourage Spanish organisations to calculate and reduce their carbon footprint while promoting projects that improve Spain’s carbon sink capacity.
Regulations
There are several methodologies and standards for calculating and communicating a corporate carbon footprint, such as the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard or the ISO 14064/14069 standards.
La huella de carbono va más allá de la medición de las emisiones de dióxido de carbono (CO2), ya que tiene en cuenta todos los GEI, para después convertir las cantidades de cada gas en cantidades equivalentes de CO2 (kg CO2 eq).
FAQ
In Spain, according to Article 11 of RD 163/2014*, all companies currently required to submit a Non-Financial Information Statement (NFIS/EINF) under Law 11/2018 must also calculate their carbon footprint annually and develop a reduction plan.
At a regional level, the Balearic Islands mandate this calculation for companies with 50 or more employees and/or companies with an annual turnover exceeding €10 million (provided the companies operate partially or fully in the Balearic Islands, as per Decree 48/2021).
In the case of Navarra, the obligation to calculate the carbon footprint was scheduled to come into force at the end of 2023 for companies (specific types to be defined) with activities in the Foral Community (Foral Law 4/2022).
For the Valencian Community, it is expected that by 2025, the calculation and accreditation of the carbon footprint, as well as the implementation of a reduction plan, will become mandatory. The affected organisations will be large and medium-sized enterprises operating within the Valencian Community.
In other autonomous communities, the calculation remains voluntary.
To register a carbon footprint, it is mandatory to calculate Scopes 1 and 2, while Scope 3 remains voluntary.
The organisation’s carbon footprint calculations must be verified by an accredited independent third party in any of the following cases:
- If your organisation generates process emissions and these are significant.
- If you wish to include Scope 3 emissions in your calculations, in addition to Scope 1+2.
- If your organisation is not an SME or an NGO, nor part of the Public Administration, regardless of the scopes being registered.
By registering the carbon footprint in the MITECO programme, a seal is obtained for a specific year. For example, if the calculation for the year 2021 is carried out in 2023, you will receive the ‘Calculo 2021’ seal.
This seal does not expire, as it reflects the efforts made in the fight against climate change during a specific year.
Four different seals can be awarded:
- Calculo (Calculate): When the carbon footprint is calculated for a specific year, the ‘Calculo’ seal is obtained.
- Reduzco (Reduce): After calculating four different years, if the fourth year shows a decrease in emissions compared to the first year, the ‘Calculo + Reduzco’ seal is awarded.
- Example: If the carbon footprint is calculated for 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, and the 2022 emissions are lower than those of 2019, the ‘Calculo + Reduzco 2022’ seal is obtained. For the year 2023, the comparison would then be made against the 2020 calculation.
- Compenso (Offset): If a company calculates its footprint for a specific year and also wishes to offset its emissions through a CO2 absorption project registered in the Registry, the ‘Calculo + Compenso’ seal is obtained.
It is also possible to achieve all three seals: Calculo + Reduzco + Compenso.
