Hello Small Business Owner!
So, the pandemic came and stayed for a bit longer than it should have and you find yourself working from home. Whilst working from home you have realised that your electricity bill keeps on going up (even when Eskom decides on switching off the lights on your behalf).
How to use the Carbon Footprint Calculator to calculate your home working space’s emissions – for small and medium-sized businesses:
Green Building Design Group has shared a tool to help home-based SMEs measure their carbon emission footprint in line with Global Greenhouse Gas Protocol Guidance, that measure direct emissions from fuel and processes (Scope 1 emissions) and those emissions from purchased electricity (or Scope 2 emissions) for the assets they operate.
Firstly, before we get started to calculate your home-based working environment’s carbon footprint you will need the following information on hand.
- Fuel consumption – Fuel consumed by the organisation in its sites and owned vehicles. This can be natural gas, diesel or LPG. You may find this information in bills, fuel card data or meters
- Travel – Number of flights taken either on a weekly, monthly or annual basis
- Energy consumption – Electricity used in your home-based working environment. You may find this information through utility bills, or automatic meter readings (if you have one of these)
- Top ups made to air conditioning units – Many refrigeration, fire protection and air conditioning equipment contain a type of F gas (Fluorinated greenhouse gas), which has a large carbon footprint. Please include the type and quantity of top up that has been done during the reporting year. You can find this information in the service sheets provided by your air conditioning or refrigeration contractor