What is a Carbon Footprint?
The carbon footprint has become one of the most frequently used terms in discussions about climate change and environmental protection. This indicator expresses the total amount of greenhouse gases that an individual, household, company, or product directly or indirectly emits into the atmosphere. For uniform comparability, all gases – from carbon dioxide (CO₂) to methane and nitrous oxide – are converted into the so-called carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e).
The carbon footprint is therefore not just an abstract concept, but a measurable data point that shows the impact of our activities on climate change. Understanding one’s personal or corporate carbon footprint allows for the identification of main emission sources, finding ways to reduce them, and preparing for growing market and legislative demands.
What Types of Carbon Footprint are there?
A carbon footprint represents the total amount of greenhouse gases generated as a result of human activity. To allow for comparison of their impact, they are converted into carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e). Therefore, the calculation includes not only CO₂, but also other gases with a high impact on climate change – such as methane (CH₄) or nitrous oxide (N₂O).
Depending on what we measure, we distinguish several forms of carbon footprint:
- Product carbon footprint – includes emissions throughout the entire life cycle of a product: from raw material extraction through manufacturing and transport to its disposal.
- Personal carbon footprint of an individual or household – expresses emissions related to energy consumption, diet, transport, and daily purchases.
- Carbon footprint of an organization or company – focuses on emissions associated with operations, production, transport, or the supply chain.
What Does a Carbon Footprint Consist of?
To accurately determine the size of an organization’s carbon footprint, we must understand where greenhouse gas emissions originate. The internationally recognized GHG Protocol (Greenhouse Gas Protocol) framework divides the carbon footprint into three basic categories – known as Scopes:
- Direct emissions (Scope 1) – arise directly from the activities of a company or individual. These include, for example, CO₂ emissions from company vehicles, gas combustion in boilers, or emissions from own production. In agriculture, this also includes methane and nitrous oxide emissions from livestock farming and soil processes.
- Indirect emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2) – include emissions associated with the generation of electricity, heat, or steam that a business or household consumes but does not directly produce.
- Other indirect emissions (Scope 3) – the most extensive and often the most challenging part of the carbon footprint. It includes all emissions indirectly linked to operations – from the production of input materials, transport, and business travel, through product consumption to their disposal.
- In the agri-food sector, this also includes the purchase of fertilizers, feed, pesticides, and the use of land itself, which often constitutes a significant portion of the total footprint.
How is a Carbon Footprint Measured?
Calculating a carbon footprint is not just a simple sum of consumed electricity or fuel. It is a systematic process governed by internationally recognized standards – primarily the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064.
The basis for the calculation are data on the consumption of energy, fuels, and materials, which are then converted using so-called emission factors. These determine how many CO₂e emissions are generated per unit consumed – for example, 1 kWh of electricity or 1 liter of diesel.
Methods of measuring a carbon footprint:
- One-time calculation – provides a basic overview of emissions and serves as a starting point for further steps.
- Continuous monitoring – allows for comparing results over time, evaluating the effectiveness of measures, and targeted reduction of the carbon footprint.
Why is it Important to Know your Carbon Footprint?
The carbon footprint is becoming a key indicator not only for large corporations but also for small and medium-sized enterprises. Understanding it brings several practical and strategic advantages:
- Readiness for legislative changes – The EU is gradually introducing rules that require greater transparency in emissions. Although initially primarily concerning large companies, these requirements are being passed down the entire supply chain.
- Customer and partner trust – companies that measure and reduce their carbon footprint appear more trustworthy and gain an advantage in contracts or investments.
- Competitive advantage – at a time when ESG reporting and sustainability are increasingly influencing decision-making, the carbon footprint can be a decisive factor.
- More efficient operational management – measurement often reveals areas of energy or material waste, leading to savings and lower emissions.
How to Reduce the Carbon Footprint in Practice?
Knowing your carbon footprint is only the first step. The real benefit comes when identified emission sources are gradually reduced.
Options:
- Energy savings and technology modernization – energy-efficient machinery, LED lighting, building insulation, renewable energy sources.
- More efficient transport and logistics – route optimization, electric vehicles, promotion of shared mobility.
- Selection of materials and suppliers – local suppliers, recycled or certified materials.
- Waste minimization and circular approaches – sorting, recycling, reuse of materials.
- Offsetting remaining emissions – if not all emissions can be eliminated, they can be offset by investing in emission reduction projects elsewhere (e.g., tree planting, renewable energy sources). However, it is important that they are verifiable and certified (Gold Standard, Verified Carbon Standard).
What is Carbon Neutrality?
Carbon neutrality means a state where an organization balances all its emissions through reduction or offsetting, so that its total net contribution to emissions is zero. This is a long-term process that requires regular measurement, progress monitoring, and continuous measures.
The Carbon Footprint is a Tool for the Future
The carbon footprint is no longer just an environmental concept from academia. It is becoming a common part of the strategic management of companies, public institutions, and agricultural operations.
Measuring a carbon footprint does not mean that a company must be perfect or carbon neutral overnight. It means that it understands its baseline, identifies risk areas, and takes steps that make sense – both economically and ecologically.
For businesses in the agri-food sector facing increasing demands for responsibility, transparency, and innovation, the carbon footprint can be an important indicator of future readiness. It is a tool that connects facts with vision – and helps set a course towards more sustainable, greener management.
If you want to find out what your operation’s carbon footprint is and how to work with it effectively, do not hesitate to contact us. We will help you get started.