17290_Authority_February_2024

58 The Authority | FEBRUARY 2024 6 Carbon Emissions Overview CO 2 N 2 O HFCs PFCs SF 6 CH 4 Common Greenhouse Gas Emissions SCOPE 1 SCOPE 2 SCOPE 3 � Purchased goods and services � Upstream and downstream transportation � Product lifecycle use � Travel � Contracted Solid Waste � Commuting Indirect emissions from the purchases of energy when the generating equipment is not owned by the organization Greenhouse gas emissions caused indirectly by organization’s supply chain related to the organization's activities � Purchased Electricity � Purchased Heating / Cooling � Purchased Steam � Fuels from owned vehicles and equipment � Natural gas use � Process emissions Types of Emissions Direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by an organization Electrification Renewable Fuels Energy Efficiency Renewable Sourcing On-Site Renewables Energy Efficiency Procurement Strategies Design for Sustainability Supplier Engagement Reduction Strategies Copyright ©2023World Fuel Services Corporation. Proprietary& Confidential. All Rights Reserved. Mifflin County article continued from page 22. future planning. Inevitably, the team will need to define the organization’s sustainability vision, mission, and values and how it will integrate a sustainability plan into its overall operations. 2 Analyze Data Gathering energy and carbon data to understand the “shape” of the portfolio may not be a simple task for most organizations. Carbon accounting quantifies the impact of an organization’s activities on climate. You may have heard the statement “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” Likewise, carbon accounting helps organizations understand their carbon emissions so they can identify hotspots, enabling them to begin their reduction efforts with high-impact actions. Carbon accounting relies on two sets of data: business data and emissions factors. Business data describes the activities performed by a business. This includes utility invoices for all meters. Business data can be either: Spend data – how much money was paid for a certain good or service, or Activity data – volume of products purchased. Emissions factors are the second type of data required for carbon accounting. They specify the amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with a given unit of business data. Once all the needed data has been collected, it can be translated into emissions estimates. How this is accomplished varies based on the methodology used. Often, a blend of spend and activity-based methods is used – called the hybrid method – and is used to maximize the accuracy and comprehensiveness of carbon calculations. Other factors to consider as part of the methodology are understanding expected business changes, current and planned sourcing strategies, on-site generation, and energy efficiency efforts. Once the data has been accurately input (to a spreadsheet or software), an organization like MCMA can begin to create visualization charts and graphs to identify areas of prioritization and hotspots. 3 Measuring Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Even though GHG emissions from water treatment make only a small contribution to GHG emissions, it is still important to map the GHG emissions and to set reasonable targets for mitigation. When measuring GHG emissions, an organization needs to first understand its obligations around Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 carbon emissions. Scope 1 emissions are within your direct control such as fuels from owned vehicles and equipment, natural gas use, and process emissions. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the purchases of energy when the generating equipment is not owned by the organization such as purchased electricity, purchased heating and cooling, and purchased steam. Scope 3 is GHG emissions caused indirectly by the organization’s supply chain related to the organization's activities. There are 15 total categories and examples include purchased goods