Every second day we read about how carbon impacts our lives, our environment, and our ecosystem. Not only does carbon footprint harm our mother earth, but so do deforestation, greenhouse gasses, global warming, and pollution. On a positive note, we have understood the importance of nature and started reducing its impacts by adopting sustainable lifestyles.
Different efforts can be seen by individuals, brands, and companies to fight against climate change. Carbon accounting can be seen as a major help in reducing carbon impacts. Its tools can help to take them forward and save the environment. Wait, carbon accounting? What is it? What are its benefits? What are its scopes? Too many questions. Here I am with all the answers. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!
What is Carbon Accounting?
Carbon accounting is also known as greenhouse gas accounting. It is the process used by organizations to measure the amounts of greenhouse gas emissions to fully understand their climate impact and set goals to reduce emissions. It is also called carbon or greenhouse inventory.
According to Science Direct, “ Carbon accounting methodologies and frameworks are crucial for actual greenhouse gas savings. Carbon accounting tools can help combat climate change by steering companies toward effective mitigation decisions.”
Types of Carbon Accounting
Carbon accounting has two categories. They are:
Physical Carbon Accounting
Physical carbon accounting looks at the direct and indirect amounts of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. It is also called the greenhouse gas inventory.
Financial Carbon Accounting
Financial carbon accounting looks at giving carbon a financial market value. It helps corporations to track their efforts in achieving greenhouse gas reduction targets.
Benefits of Incorporating Carbon Accounting
It helps to reduce the carbon footprint in the atmosphere.
It helps to identify business activities that use a lot of energy.
It makes businesses transparent about their business activities and their impact on the atmosphere.
It helps companies to become more environmentally conscious and take active steps to control their carbon emissions.
Businesses incorporating carbon accounting are likely to get a positive brand experience.
Carbon Accounting Scopes
A company has to set goals for reducing carbon emissions within the framework of three scopes. These are:
Scope one covers emissions that result from the direct activities of companies. The activities include fuel combustion from vehicles and facilities that your company owns.
Scope two covers emissions that result from the generation of purchased electricity consumed by your company. The purchases include electricity, cooling, and heating.
Scope three covers the emissions from all other indirect sources in your company’s supply chain. Examples: raw goods, employee community, distribution, and transportation.
Carbon Accounting: Industry Requirement
One of the IPCC ( Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), states, “Climate change will lead to extreme weather conditions occurring more frequently, leading to widespread devastation. Scientists believe that the rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions lead to rising sea levels and rising temperatures, heavy rain flooding, erosion, and reduced agricultural yields.”
The report further states, “ Companies have a big role in reducing these emissions and meeting the carbon budget set by regulators. They need carbon accounting to reach net-zero-goals, be smart, and prevent catastrophic climate breakdown.”
The report made it more clear that carbon accounting is no longer a choice, it is needed. Industries can opt for different tools and methods to check their carbon emissions. Moreover, it is important to take responsibility for their impact and take active steps to reduce it.
Tools Making Carbon Accounting Easier
The GHG ( GreenHouse Gas) protocol is consistently developing tools that can be used by several industries, businesses, and organizations to reduce their carbon emissions. You can use tools as per your industry and need. A few of the tools are the Greenhouse Gas Calculator, Direct Land Use Change Assessment, Carbon Reporting, and FarmGAS scenario tool.
The software will help you get the answers to the following questions:
How to measure greenhouse gas emissions?
What is the total amount of greenhouse gasses emitted?
Who is responsible for the emissions?
Which measure will allow for the emissions reduction?
Where do the vital greenhouse gas reduction possibilities exist within the business units and value chains?
With the results from the carbon accounting tools, you can choose better what is right for your organization and the environment. This will help you to make strategies and by ensuring minimum carbon emissions.
According to the Sixth Assessment Report by IPCC, “ We are running out of time. Unless we make drastic greenhouse gas emissions reductions within the next two decades, the temperature may rise by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. To prevent such a disaster, carbon accounting, management, and reduction need to be on the agenda. Inventors, regulators, and consumers will expect businesses to act responsibly and make a real impact on the climate change situation.”
Therefore, we need to understand that the main goal behind opting for carbon accounting is to reduce the impacts on the environment of businesses and industries.
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Kila siku tunasoma juu ya jinsi kaboni inavyoathiri maisha yetu, mazingira yetu, na mfumo wetu wa ikolojia. Si kwamba tu alama ya kaboni huumiza mama yetu dunia, bali pia ukataji-miti, gesi za chafu, ongezeko la joto duniani, na uchafuzi wa mazingira. Kwa upande mzuri, tumeelewa umuhimu wa asili na kuanza kupunguza athari zake kwa kupitisha mtindo wa maisha endelevu. Jitihada tofauti zinaweza kuonekana na watu binafsi, bidhaa, na makampuni kupambana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. Uhasibu wa kaboni unaweza kuonekana kama msaada mkubwa katika kupunguza athari za kaboni. Vifaa vyake vinaweza kusaidia kuendeleza maendeleo hayo na kuokoa mazingira. Kusubiri, uhasibu wa kaboni? Ni nini hicho? Kuna faida gani? Ni mambo gani yanayoweza kufanywa? Maswali mengi sana. Hapa niko na majibu yote. Kwa hiyo, unangojea nini? Hebu twende! Uhasibu wa Kaboni ni Nini? Uhasibu wa kaboni pia inajulikana kama uhasibu wa gesi ya chafu. Ni mchakato unaotumiwa na mashirika kupima kiasi cha uzalishaji wa gesi ya chafu ili kuelewa kikamilifu athari zao za hali ya hewa na kuweka malengo ya kupunguza uzalishaji. Pia inaitwa kaboni au ghala la chafu. Kulingana na Sayansi Direct, <unk> Mbinu na mifumo ya uhasibu wa kaboni ni muhimu kwa akiba halisi ya gesi ya chafu. Vifaa vya uhasibu wa kaboni vinaweza kusaidia kupambana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa kwa kuongoza makampuni kuelekea maamuzi ya kupunguza ufanisi. "Kulingana na utafiti wa ""Makubaliano ya Kimwili ya Kaboni,"" makubaliano hayo yanaonyesha kuwa kiwango cha gesi ya chafu katika anga ni cha moja kwa moja na kisicho cha moja kwa moja." Pia inaitwa hesabu ya gesi za chafu. Uhasibu wa Carbon Uhasibu wa Carbon unaangalia kutoa kaboni thamani ya soko la kifedha. Inasaidia mashirika kufuatilia juhudi zao katika kufikia malengo ya kupunguza gesi ya chafu. Faida za Kuingiza Uhasibu wa Kaboni Inasaidia kupunguza alama ya kaboni katika anga. Inasaidia kutambua shughuli za biashara ambazo hutumia nishati nyingi. Ni kufanya biashara uwazi kuhusu shughuli zao za biashara na athari zao juu ya anga. Inasaidia makampuni kuwa na ufahamu zaidi wa mazingira na kuchukua hatua za kazi kudhibiti uzalishaji wao wa kaboni. Biashara zinazojumuisha uhasibu wa kaboni zinaweza kupata uzoefu mzuri wa chapa. Carbon Accounting Scopes Kampuni lazima kuweka malengo ya kupunguza uzalishaji wa kaboni ndani ya mfumo wa maeneo matatu. Hizi ni: Scope moja inashughulikia uzalishaji ambao hutokana na shughuli za moja kwa moja za makampuni. Shughuli ni pamoja na kuchoma mafuta kutoka magari na vifaa kwamba kampuni yako anamiliki. Sehemu ya pili inashughulikia uzalishaji unaotokana na uzalishaji wa umeme ulionunuliwa uliotumiwa na kampuni yako. Ununuzi huo unatia ndani umeme, baridi, na joto. Sehemu ya tatu inashughulikia uzalishaji kutoka vyanzo vingine vyote vya moja kwa moja katika mlolongo wa usambazaji wa kampuni yako. Mifano: bidhaa ghafi, jamii ya wafanyakazi, usambazaji, na usafirishaji. "Kama ilivyoelezwa na IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), ""mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa yatasababisha hali mbaya ya hali ya hewa kutokea mara kwa mara zaidi, na kusababisha uharibifu mkubwa.""" "Wanasayansi wanaamini kuwa viwango vinavyoongezeka vya uzalishaji wa gesi za chafu vinaongoza kwa kuongezeka kwa viwango vya bahari na kuongezeka kwa joto, mafuriko ya mvua kubwa, uharibifu, na kupunguzwa kwa mavuno ya kilimo. ""Kampuni zina jukumu kubwa katika kupunguza uzalishaji huu na kukidhi bajeti ya kaboni iliyowekwa na wasimamizi." "Wanauhitaji uhasibu wa kaboni kufikia malengo ya ""net-zero,"" kuwa na akili, na kuzuia uharibifu wa hali ya hewa. ""Ripoti hiyo ilionyesha wazi kuwa uhasibu wa kaboni sio chaguo tena, inahitajika." Viwanda vinaweza kuchagua zana na mbinu tofauti za kuangalia uzalishaji wao wa kaboni. Zaidi ya hayo, ni muhimu kuchukua jukumu la athari zao na kuchukua hatua za kazi ili kupunguza. Vifaa vya Kufanya Uhasibu wa Kaboni rahisi Itifaki ya GHG (Gas ya Greenhouse) inaendelea kuendeleza zana ambazo zinaweza kutumiwa na viwanda kadhaa, biashara, na mashirika kupunguza uzalishaji wao wa kaboni. Unaweza kutumia zana kulingana na sekta yako na haja. Vifaa hivi ni: Calculator ya Gesi ya Greenhouse, Uhakiki wa Mabadiliko ya Moja kwa Moja ya Matumizi ya Ardhi, Ripoti ya Kaboni, na Kifaa cha Scenario ya FarmGAS. Programu hii itakusaidia kupata majibu ya maswali yafuatayo: Jinsi ya kupima uzalishaji wa gesi za chafu? Ni kiasi gani cha jumla cha gesi za chafu zinazotolewa? Ni nani anayesababisha uzalishaji huo? Ni hatua gani itaruhusu kupunguza uzalishaji? Ambapo uwezekano muhimu wa kupunguza gesi ya chafu zipo ndani ya vitengo vya biashara na minyororo ya thamani? Kwa kutumia matokeo ya hesabu ya kaboni, unaweza kuchagua bora kile kinachofaa kwa shirika lako na mazingira. Hii itakusaidia kufanya mikakati na kwa kuhakikisha uzalishaji wa chini wa kaboni. Kulingana na Ripoti ya Tano ya Tathmini ya IPCC, <unk> Tunaisha wakati. """Ikiwa hatuwezi kupunguza uzalishaji wa gesi za chafu katika miongo miwili ijayo, joto linaweza kuongezeka zaidi ya digrii 1.5 juu ya viwango vya kabla ya viwanda." Ili kuzuia msiba kama huo, hesabu ya kaboni, usimamizi, na upunguzaji lazima uwe kwenye ajenda. "Wanabiashara, watengenezaji wa sheria na watumiaji watatarajia biashara kutenda kwa uwajibikaji na kufanya athari halisi kwa hali ya mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa, ""alisema, ""Kwa hivyo tunahitaji kuelewa kwamba lengo kuu nyuma ya kuchagua uhasibu wa kaboni ni kupunguza athari za biashara na viwanda kwa mazingira.""" Sisi, katika OpenGrowth, tumejitolea kukufanya uwe na maudhui bora juu ya mada za hivi karibuni za mtindo kutoka uwanja wowote mkubwa. Pia, maoni na mapendekezo yako ni ya thamani kwetu. Kwa hivyo, shirikisha katika sehemu ya maoni hapa chini.