Navigating Net Zero Handbook

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8

Emissions Explained

From carbon footprints to greenhouse gas emissions, the language surrounding

sustainability can sometimes feel like a maze of unfamiliar jargon.

With the emission of greenhouse gases - particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane

– the main driver of climate change, we felt it was important to start with some key terms

relating to emissions:

Base year

Historic data (a specific year or an average over multiple years) against which a

company’s emissions are tracked over time.

Base year emissions

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the base year.

Baseline

A hypothetical scenario for what GHG emissions, removals or storage would have been

in the absence of the GHG project or project activity.

Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2E)

A measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases based upon

their global warming potential (GWP). Carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents are commonly

expressed as 'million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMTCDE)'. For

example, the GWP for methane is 21 and for nitrous oxide 310. This means that emissions

of 1million metric tonnes of methane and nitrous oxide respectively is equivalent to

emissions of 21 and 310 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Carbon neutrality

Net Zero CO2 emissions are also referred to as carbon neutrality.

Cradle-to-gate

A life cycle assessment that considers the environmental impacts and emissions from

raw material extraction (cradle) up to the factory gate. This excludes the use and disposal

phases of the product and emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the

reporting company).

Emissions intensity

The rate of GHG emissions relative to a specific activity or industrial output, typically

expressed as the amount of emissions per unit of energy produced or economic output

(e.g. grams of CO2 per megajoule or per £ of GDP).

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