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S. Scalbi et al.
training in fostering their commitment to account for and mitigate GHG emissions.
This chapter illustrates the development and application of Clim’Foot approach for
promoting the calculation of the CFO and definition of mitigation actions and to highlight the results of the testing phase in Italy. The approach is described in terms of
(i) the toolbox developed (national databases of emission factors, training materials
and carbon footprint calculator), (ii) the voluntary program set up to engage public
and private organizations and (iii) the role played by decision-makers. Strengths and
weaknesses of the Clim’Foot approach are discussed, together with opportunities
of replicability and transferability of the results to support the development of a
dynamic European network for carbon accounting.
Keywords Climate change · Carbon footprint · CFO · Low carbon economy ·
Mitigation actions · Emission factors · Data quality · Carbon footprint calculator
1 Introduction
Human activities, especially combustion of fossil fuels, deforestation and farming
livestock, have led to an increase of the global average temperature for about 0.85
°C in the last 20 years [1]. Scientists consider that an increase of 2 °C compared with
preindustrial age is the threshold, beyond which we can expect dangerous and even
catastrophic event occurring. For this reason, 195 countries reached an agreement
at the Paris Climate Conference (COP21), held in December 2015, to limit global
warming to well below 2 °C above preindustrial levels. Actually, the national climate
action plans presented in Paris showed just the trend to be followed but are not enough
to achieve the goal.
Also before 2015, the EU countries together with Iceland had endorsed the Kyoto
protocol (1998) and were committed to cut by 20% compared to 1990 the greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions by 2020. Moreover, the EU has defined a road map of the
transformation towards a low-carbon economy [2], which engages the EU to achieve
40% reduction of GHG emissions by 2030, compared to 1990, and 80% by 2050.
In this context, the EU emission trading system (ETS) represents an essential
part of the European policies on climate change, as it targets the most polluting
organizations, which cover 45% of the GHG emissions. The ETS sectors that mostly
contribute to GHG emissions are the following
1 :
• power and heat generation, all energy-intensive industry sectors (oil refineries,
steel works and production of metals, cement, lime, glass, ceramics, pulp, paper,
cardboard, acids and organic chemicals), commercial aviation, which are mainly
sources of carbon dioxide (CO 2 );
• production of nitric, adipic, glyoxal and glyoxylic acids as sources of Nitrous
oxide (N 2 O);
• aluminum production as a source of perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
1 http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets/index_en.htm.
S. Scalbi et al.
training in fostering their commitment to account for and mitigate GHG emissions.
This chapter illustrates the development and application of Clim’Foot approach for
promoting the calculation of the CFO and definition of mitigation actions and to highlight the results of the testing phase in Italy. The approach is described in terms of
(i) the toolbox developed (national databases of emission factors, training materials
and carbon footprint calculator), (ii) the voluntary program set up to engage public
and private organizations and (iii) the role played by decision-makers. Strengths and
weaknesses of the Clim’Foot approach are discussed, together with opportunities
of replicability and transferability of the results to support the development of a
dynamic European network for carbon accounting.
Keywords Climate change · Carbon footprint · CFO · Low carbon economy ·
Mitigation actions · Emission factors · Data quality · Carbon footprint calculator
1 Introduction
Human activities, especially combustion of fossil fuels, deforestation and farming
livestock, have led to an increase of the global average temperature for about 0.85
°C in the last 20 years [1]. Scientists consider that an increase of 2 °C compared with
preindustrial age is the threshold, beyond which we can expect dangerous and even
catastrophic event occurring. For this reason, 195 countries reached an agreement
at the Paris Climate Conference (COP21), held in December 2015, to limit global
warming to well below 2 °C above preindustrial levels. Actually, the national climate
action plans presented in Paris showed just the trend to be followed but are not enough
to achieve the goal.
Also before 2015, the EU countries together with Iceland had endorsed the Kyoto
protocol (1998) and were committed to cut by 20% compared to 1990 the greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions by 2020. Moreover, the EU has defined a road map of the
transformation towards a low-carbon economy [2], which engages the EU to achieve
40% reduction of GHG emissions by 2030, compared to 1990, and 80% by 2050.
In this context, the EU emission trading system (ETS) represents an essential
part of the European policies on climate change, as it targets the most polluting
organizations, which cover 45% of the GHG emissions. The ETS sectors that mostly
contribute to GHG emissions are the following
1 :
• power and heat generation, all energy-intensive industry sectors (oil refineries,
steel works and production of metals, cement, lime, glass, ceramics, pulp, paper,
cardboard, acids and organic chemicals), commercial aviation, which are mainly
sources of carbon dioxide (CO 2 );
• production of nitric, adipic, glyoxal and glyoxylic acids as sources of Nitrous
oxide (N 2 O);
• aluminum production as a source of perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
1 http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets/index_en.htm.