Calculate carbon footprint: practical skills for

climate change

FH Prof. DDI Dr. Hirut Grossberger

Environmental performance- Assessment methods
Why do we need to calculate the environmental performance?

To understand our individual impact on the planet and take actions

Local decision makers- to optimize project investments

Countries – to improve
sustainability and well-being

More?

30.11.2023 2
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

UN, 2015
3
 Bottom line of sustainability
The UN Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity and to
strengthen universal peace in larger freedom, (5Ps).

People
- determined to end poverty and hunger, in all their forms and dimensions, and to ensure
that all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality and in a healthy
environment.

Planet
- determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable
consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking
urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future
generations.

Prosperity
- determined to ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives
and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature.

30.11.2023 4
 Bottom line of sustainability
Peace
- determined to foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are free from fear and
violence. There can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without
sustainable development.
Partnership
- determined to mobilize the means required to implement this Agenda through a revitalized Global
Partnership for Sustainable Development, based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity,
focused on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable and with the participation of all countries,
all stakeholders and all people.
Those 5P can be summarized in four dimensions:
- Measures of welfare (need, utility, happiness, aspiration etc.)
- Inter- generational equity
- Intra- generational equity
- Interspecies equity

o is environmental protection synonymous with sustainability?

❖ Environmental protection is only part of the sustainability definition pertaining to the environment

o Carbon footprint - as an environmental indicator that represents the number of

greenhouse gasses (GHGs) 30.11.2023
Alignment of the SDGs with the 5P

30.11.2023 6
Assessment Methods
• Ecological footprint
• Ecological backpack
• Lifecycle Assessment
• Carbon footprint (CO2- Footprint) – part of LCA

30.11.2023 7
Ecological footprint

Ecological footprint (gha- global hectare) – to quantify how much nature we have and
how much nature we use.
The world's annual amount of biological production for human use per hectare of
biologically productive land.
- Global hectares of production/no. people on the globe

➢ The average biological productivity worldwide = 1.6 gh

➢ The average footprint currently is 2.6 gh

• Calculate your own ecological footprint: [Link]

o Who wants to help the nature, should live with ecological footprint below 1.6 gh

30.11.2023 8
Ecological footprint
• Example: the average ecological footprint of the people in different countries
▪ Qatar = 14.72 gha
▪ USA = 8.04 gha
▪ Austria = 6.02 gha
▪ Nicaragua = 1.4 gha
▪ Ethiopia = 1.01 gha
▪ Bangladesh = 0.83 gha
▪ Dr. Congo = 0.01 gha
Allocation of the ecological footprint in percent
- Food = 35% (animal products)
- Living = 25% (heating)
- Mobility = 22% (transport mode)
- Consumption = 18% (product purchase)

30.11.2023 9
Ecological backpack
• Weight of all the resources applied to produce, use and dispose a given
product

A gold ring carries 5 tonnes of ecological backpack

A mobile phone 75,3 kg

Quelle- [Link]

30.11.2023 10
Ecological backpack

• MIPS (Material Input Per Service unit)

Examples:
- MIPS of a given railway infrastructure component?
- MIPS of a given railway rolling stock component?

Comparison (backpacks) of components of different production places, processes,

usage (services), disposal or recycling.

Measures to reduce MIPS: reduced material, energy and short transport routes,
longer service life?

30.11.2023 11
Lifecycle Assessment – LCA (Ökobilanzierung)

• All the ecological impacts of a product during its whole

lifecycle

• In all lifecycle phases - production, operation and disposal/recycling phase

of a product

• It doesn’t only able to quantify the ecological

impact of the products but also serves to assess
the ecological impact of the processes, services
and facilities.

30.11.2023 12
Life cycle assessment

Quelle: San Martin, 2011

30.11.2023 13
For reflection
• What makes ecological sense?
❖ a construction material (insulating material) as an example
✓ Compare two insulating materials made of flax (with borate) & cork (imported from Portugal)
❖ ecological assessment of a given material
- where do the raw materials come from?
- what is used for the production?
- how would the product be transported?
- does the product need maintenance?
- how would it be disposed?

• additional example – group work

o comparison of insulating materials – Flax and sheep wool (G1); Flax and hemp (G2)

“Cradle to grave”

“Cradle to cradle”
30.11.2023 14
Life cycle assessment

• The role of LCA in the environmental protection to achieve sustainability…

✓ an environmental management tool to determine the environmental impact of a
product or system over the whole life.
✓ a structured, comprehensive and internationally standardized method
✓ it quantifies all relevant emissions and resources consumed and the related
environmental and health impacts and resource depletion issues that are
associated with any goods or services
✓ over the whole life of a product : from production, through use and to recycling,
reuse or disposal – “cradle to the grave”

• compares the environmental performance of two different products, services

or processes

• determines the stages of the lifecycle that contribute the most to certain
impacts
30.11.2023 15
Why is LCA important
• Is the most credible way to inform decision making about the total environmental impacts
of products, services and systems.
Provides evidence needed to:
• reduce environmental pollution and resource use taking product’s full life cycle into account
• avoid shifting environmental impacts- avoid resolving one environmental problem while
creating others
• minimize secondary effects if used in conjunction with design- eg. like causing waste –related
issues while improving production technologies
• meet environmental regulations
• support innovation in design and manufacturing

• Ecodesign: incorporating environmental aspects in production processes designs and

products that are efficient and sustainable through innovative designs and production lines

• Clean Production: low levels of emissions

30.11.2023 16
LCA main characteristics
• takes lifecycle perspective
✓ It allows identifying and preventing the burden shifting between lifecycle stages
• eg,. Biofules – lower emission from the use stage but increased impacts from harvest
and extraction stage
• covers a broad range of environmental issues

✓ Not only climate change but also eg. Freshwater use, land occupation and
transformation, aquatic eutrophication, toxic impacts on human health, depletion of
renewable resources, and eco-toxic effects from metals and synthetic organic
chemicals.

• Considering multiple environmental issues avoids burden shifts.

30.11.2023 17
LCA main characteristics
• is quantitative
✓ CO2-equivalent for example
• mapping all GHG emissions and resource uses , eventually the geographical
locations of these
• Mathematical models (cause/effect) models to calculate potential impacts on
the environment from these emissions and resource uses

• Is based on science
✓ Models of the relationships between emissions and resource consumptions are based on
proven causalities and empirically observed relationships
✓ Value judgement is consistent and transparent
✓ Assigns weights to different types of environmental problems

30.11.2023 18
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) –
LCA
• ISO produced series of standards in 1997/98 that were recently revised
in 2006
• Crucially contributed to the general acceptance of the LCA by all
stakeholders and by the international community

ISO 14040: 1997

ISO 14041: 1999
ISO 14042: 2000
ISO 14043: 2000

[Link]
.5040&rep=rep1&type=pdf

30.11.2023 19
ISO 14067:2018
Greenhouse gases — Carbon footprint of products — Requirements and guidelines for
quantification
• This document specifies principles, requirements and guidelines for the quantification and
reporting of the carbon footprint of a product (CFP), in a manner consistent with International
Standards on life cycle assessment (LCA) (ISO 14040 and ISO 14044).

• Requirements and guidelines for the quantification of a partial CFP are also specified.

• This document is applicable to CFP studies, the results of which provide the basis for different
applications.

• This document addresses only a single impact category: climate change. Carbon offsetting and
communication of CFP or partial CFP information are outside the scope of this document.

• This document does not assess any social or economic aspects or impacts, or any other
environmental aspects and related impacts potentially arising from the life cycle of a product.

30.11.2023 20
LCA considers

Inputs Outputs
Resource extraction
Products
Materials
Manufacturing
Water effluents
Water
Distribution
Energy Airborne emissions
Use
Land Solid waste
Maintenance
Others
Waste management

30.11.2023 21
LCA framework according to ISO 14040

Definition of goal
and scope Direct Application:

- Development
and improvement
of products
Lifecycle inventory Lifecycle - Strategic
analysis interpretation planning
- Political
decision
Lifecycle impact process
assessment - Marketing
Classification - others
Characterization
Normalization
Weighting

30.11.2023 22
Quiz
- What does LCA stand for?

a, Life Cycle analysis b, Life Cycle assessment c, Lifecycle accounting

- How many phases are there in an LCA?

a, 4 b, 6 c, 8

30.11.2023 23
Method of quantifying the CFP and the partial CFP - Life Cycle Assessment
Four phases of LCA LC phase i

• Definition of goal and Partial CFP Module i.1 Module i.2 Module 1.3 …Module n.n
Breaking down LC
1 scope into Lifecycle
LC phase ii phases:
such as for
• Lifecycle inventory Partial CFP Module ii,1 Module ii.2 Module ii.3 …Module n.n example:
2 analysis - raw material
extraction,
LC phase iii Construction,
• Lifecycle impact Production,
3 assessment Partial CFP Module iii.1 Module iii. 2 Module iii. 3 …Module n.n
Transport,
Delivery,
LC phase iv Usage,
• Lifecycle interpretation Partial CFP …Module n.n
End of product life
4 Module iv.1 Module iv.2 Module iv.3

…
LC phase n
System boundary

Sum of CFP

30.11.2023 24
 Legend

Must be included in CFP or partial CFP

Reduce
Should be included in CFP or partial CFP Kg CO2 eqv. 6
Must be documented separately in the CFP – report 5
but not be included in CFP
Should be considered separately
4
1. GHG emissions other than those specified
3
2. GHG emissions from aviation
3. GHG quantities emitted from biogenic raw materials
2
4. GHG emissions from direct land use change and changed management practices 1 11
5. GHG emissions from land use excluded changed management practices
6. Net- quantities of GHG emissions & removals from fossile raw materials
7 10 12
7. GHG- quantities emitted and removed from biogenic raw materials
8. Withdrawal through direct land use change and altered management practices 8
9. Withdrawal through land use change and altered management practices 9 Increase
10. Biogenic carbon in the product
11. Emissions from indirect landuse change
12. Withdrawal through indirect landuse change
30.11.2023 25
Iterative process

Source: ILCD Handbook

30.11.2023 26
Iterative process of LCA

It is recommended to identify
and involve critical reviewers

Source: ILCD Handbook

30.11.2023 27
Quiz
- Can the goal and scope be updated while completing the inventory stage?

a, No, it must be left as originally written

b, yes, but it should be avoided if possible

c, yes, this type of iterative process is encouraged and can strengthen results

30.11.2023 28
Goal & scope definition – Mobility

30.11.2023 29
 LC Phase - production

„Cradle –to- Gate“ assessment

Environmental impacts:
➢ raw material extraction
➢ processing, transport
➢ component manufacture
➢ Logistics
➢ vehicle assembly
➢ painting
➢ battery production in case of BEV
30.11.2023 30
 LC Phase - operation
Well-to-Wheel (WTW) = Well-to-Tank (WTT) + Tank-to-Wheel (TTW)

WTT: from production of the energy source (petrol, diesel, TTW: from charging
electricity, natural gas) to supply. point or fuel pump to
➢ Producing energy from primary energy to the charging discharge (operation-
point or fuel pump being on the move)

➢ Emissions related to extraction, production, transport, ➢ TTW thus describes the

distribution use of fuel or electric
energy in the vehicle and
emissions during driving
30.11.2023 31
LC Phase – End- of - Life

30.11.2023 32
CFP- Train vs. Car drive phase Train/Car Life Cycle

Resource extraction

Components Manufacturing

Train Assembly
The system boundary of the drive phase

Well to Wheel

Well to Tank Tank to Wheel – (train operation) + On-board Energy

Energy Energy Energy Energy Energy

Energy
resource carrier carrier carrier carrier
Transmission
extraction production distribution storage conversion

Train End of Life

30.11.2023 33
Lifecycle inventory analysis
• The aim of this phase is the construction of a system model based
on the needs of the goal and scope definition

• Construction of flow charts, collection of data, and calculation

methods to estimate relevant inputs and outputs associated with
a product and system

• Collection of data on inputs and outputs that represent:

o consumption of resources
o discharges into air, land, and water

• Creation of life cycle models and estimation of emissions

produced along with consumption of resources during the life
cycle

30.11.2023 34
• Data sources and gathering
• Reference sources (public)
✓ [Link]
✓ Berechnung von Treibhausgas (THG)-Emissionen verschiedener Energieträger
[Link]

✓ European commission, Joint Research Center (EC JRC): Life Cycle Data Network:
[Link] LCAI Methods
✓ EPD Bundesministerium Deutschland: [Link]
✓ Gemis: [Link]
✓ National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), U.S. Life Cycle Inventory Database: [Link]
✓ IDEMA- App
✓ [Link]
• Reference sources (commercial 6 partially free)
✓ Ecoinvent ([Link] can be also accessed as part of licensed user arrangements with LCA
software e.g. SimaPro/GaBi
• Reference sources (peer reviewed academic literature)
✓ [Link]

30.11.2023 35
Lifecycle impact assessment
• LCIA is a step for evaluating the potential environmental impacts by
converting the Lifecycle Inventory results into specific impact indicators

➢ LCIA – aggregation of the inventory data in support of interpretation

o Normalization and weighting are not included and can start from either midpoint or endpoint being
consistent with the goal of LCIA 30.11.2023 36
Improvement assessment – Interpretation

➢Identification of areas that have the potential for improvement

within the system
o The identification of is not limited to the areas that have significant
environmental effects but also consider those with smaller effects where
changes could be made easily.
o A number of small changes can result in a large improvement of the
system

30.11.2023 37
Use case – Excercise Goal definition
➢ Expected application: clear identification of the application of the CFP

Mobility ➢ Clear identification of the reason for carrying out the study

➢ Definition of the aims and objectives of the study (e.g. comparative assertion that can be
disclosed to the public)

➢ Identification of the target and type of audience to whom the CFP is anticipated

Scope definitions
➢ The system or process and its functions as well as functional units and reference
flows – modelling framework

Functional unit ➢ The system boundaries – cut-off rules

➢ Steps ➢ Allocation of impact categories – GHG – emissions

✓ Identification of one or more functions ➢ Data characteristics – quality, representativeness, availability

• What? (function provided) ➢ Type of critical review

• How much? (quantity) ➢ Reporting of results

• How long? (duration)

• To what quality?

• Changes in the performance over time (service life)

30.11.2023 38
Example

Goal
Scope
Car and Train – the service phase only-
A to B 43 km (by Train), 38,5 km by car
Functional unit
Direct and indirect emissions

Inventory
Input - Inputs Outputs
Diesel Resource extraction
Electric energy Products
Materials
Manufacturing
Water effluents
Water
Distribution
How many lit of diesel? Airborne
Energy emissions
Amount of electric energy? Use
Land Solid waste
Maintenance
Others
Waste management

30.11.2023 39
How many liters of diesel?

Diesel 6,9 l/100km 38,5 km

-----? Liters of diesel

Amount of electric energy required for the train? (43 km)

A to B Simulation From Simulation = A to B = 288 kwh

B to A Excel calculation B to A = 87,3 kwh
Database?

30.11.2023 40
 [Link]

Berechnung von Treibhausgas (THG)-Emissionen verschiedener Energieträger

([Link] Stand Nov. 2022
Gesamtmenge
Energieträger Menge Einheit CO2-Äquivalent CO2-Äquivalent
ohne
inkl. Vorkette
Vorkette
Stromaufbringung 0,16
kWh 0,202 kg kg
Österreich 1
Umweltzeichen
kWh 0,014 kg 0 kg
"Grüner Strom"
Diesel l 3,134 kg 2,493 kg
Benzin 1,0 l 2,739 kg 2,137 kg

Impact analysis

Car Train
Calculation – CO2 eqv. (inc. pre-chain emission) A to B = 288 kwh
B to A = 87,3 kwh
--- lit diesel * 3,134 = -----kg CO2 eqv.
288 *0,014 = ---- kg CO2 eqv.
87,3 * 0,014 = ----kg CO2 eqv.
Calculation – CO2 eqv. (without pre-chain emission)
Green or electricity mix?
--- lit diesel * 2,493 = -----kg CO2 eqv.

30.11.2023 41
Convert to the appropriate functional unit to compare

Average occupancy rate: Car = 1,14 Ö- Umweltbundesamt

Train eg. 40 people

(CO2 eqv. /(Occupancy rate * distance))*1000 = g CO2 eqv. /Pkm

(CO2 eqv. /(1,14* 38,5))*1000 =------ g CO2 eqv. /Pkm
Car

(CO2 eqv. /(40* 43*2))*1000 =------ g CO2 eqv. /Pkm

Train

30.11.2023 42
Global Warming Potential (GWP)

• CO2 = GWP of 1 regardless of the time period used.

• CO2 remains in the climate system for a very long time: will last thousands of years
• Methane (CH4) is estimated to have a GWP of 25 times more global warming over 100
years compared to CO2.
• CH4 also absorbs much more energy than CO2. The net effect of the shorter lifetime and
higher energy absorption is reflected in the GWP.
• Nitrous oxide (N2O) has a GWP 265–298 times that of CO2 for a 100-year timescale.
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons
(HCFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) trap substantially
more heat than CO2.

30.11.2023 43
Global Warming Potential (GWP)
Kyoto Gases (IPCC* 2013-2020)
Greenhouse Gas Global warming Potential (GWP) factor

Carbon dioxide (CO2) 1

Methane (CH4) 25

Nitrous oxide (N2O) 298

Hydroflourocarbons (HFCS) 124 - 14,800

Perflourocarbons (PFCs) 7,390 – 12,200

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) 22,800

Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) 17,200

Kyoto 2nd commitment period (2013- 2020) added Nitrogen trifluoride. For the first commitment period
(2008 to 2012) only the first six gases were included.

* IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

30.11.2023 44
Quiz – CO2 eq.

Which is the global warming potential (expressed in kg CO2eq.) of a mixture of 9 kg CO2, 2 kg

CH4 and 2 kg N2O emitted to air? The GWP100 of these substances are: 1 kg CO2 = 1 kg
CO2 eq. ; 1 kg CH4 = 28 kg Co2 eq.; and 1kg N2O = 298 CO2 eq.

a, 9 kg CO2 eq.

b, 661 kg CO2 eq.

c, 586 kg CO2 eq.

30.11.2023 45
Other impact categories: CFP (GWP) is only one of them
▪ Global warming potential (GWP): contribution to the greenhouse effect in (kg CO2- equivalent)

▪ Ozone depletion potential (ODP): contribution to hole in the ozone layer in (kg R11- equivalent)

▪ Acidification potential (AP): contribution to acidic rain in (kg SO2 – equivalent)

▪ Eutrophication potential (EP): contribution to over fertilisation in (kg Phosphate – equivalent)

▪ Photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP): contribution to summer smog in (kg Ethen-
equivalent)

▪ Non renewable primary energy demand in (MJ) – energetically used resources

▪ Solid waste

▪ Heavy metals

▪ Winter and summer smog

▪ Carcinogens

30.11.2023 46
30.11.2023 47
CO2 – Footprint per route/path purpose

No. of routes [No./year]

x Length of the routes [km]

x Emission factor of the means of transport used [g CO2-equivalent/pkm]

= Emissions per year [g CO2-equivalent]

30.11.2023 48
Ways

Where am i going in 1 year?

how often?

30.11.2023 49
Routes
Calculate the distance
Routes → route planer: e.g ÖAMTC [Link]
ViaMichelin [Link]

30.11.2023
Calculate the distance
Airway → air-line distance e.g: [Link]

+ 7% increment
For:
• Deviation from the direct flight route (e.g.
Airspace closures, weather)
• Loops before landing (waiting for free slots)
• Detour on approcha (wind direction)

30.11.2023 51
 Emission indicators- eg. In Austria

Passende Emissionskennzahlen ermitteln

[Link] .

30.11.2023 52
Application in other fields…
Similar principle
Allocation of the ecological footprint in percent
-Food = 35% (animal products)
Steps according to ISO -Living = 25% (heating)
Goal and scope definition -Mobility = 22% (transport mode)
-Consumption = 18% (product purchase)
Inventory: amount/time, emission factors

Impact analysis: total amount of emissions/time, emission/ product:

depending on the defined functional unit.
→ Emission factors!
• Living (heating)?
Direct and indirect emissions?
• Food?
• Consumption? Textile? Keywords: „Emission factor“, „CO2-
• etc. Footprint“, ‘carbon footprint‘

30.11.2023 53