Carbon Footprint Calculator

The rise of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) by many large companies and brands has brought a renewed interest in understanding and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Because printing is part of the supply chain, more printing companies are being asked to report on their carbon footprint and any steps that are being taken to reduce it. This calculator will help you quantify your emissions and identify opportunities for reduction.
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Calculating the carbon footprint of a printing operation provides two important benefits. The first is that it may be required by regulation and the second is it is a valuable ESG metric to communicate your sustainability progress by quantifying your environmental impact and support for your customer’s ESG commitments. By voluntarily reporting this information to your customers, you can demonstrate your sustainability progress as your implement sustainability programs.

Regarding carbon footprinting, there are three aspects that need to be considered and they are referred to as “Scopes” The three scopes are as follows:

  • Scope 1 – Direct emissions from your operation and they include fuel combustion for heating and manufacturing, company vehicles, fugitive emissions (e.g., leaks of greenhouse gases from refrigeration, air conditioning units, etc.)

  • Scope 2 – Indirect emissions from your operation that include purchased electricity, heat, and steam.

  • Scope 3 – Indirect emissions from your value chain. There are 15 categories under this scope and include purchased goods and services, business travel, employee commuting, waste disposal, use of sold products, transportation, and distribution (up and downstream), investments, and leased assets and franchises. Not every category will be relevant to all organizations.

While Scope 3 emissions are not typically required to be calculated, you may find that your customer base is reaching into their value chain to understand the full GHG impact of their operations.  As a result, you may be getting requests for your Scope 3 emissions. If you need to calculate your Scope 3 emissions, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has resources and guidance that can be used to calculate Scope 3 emissions at https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/scope-3-inventory-guidance.