| name | carbon-footprint |
| description | Analyze organizational carbon footprint covering Scope 1/2/3 emissions inventory, calculation methodology, reduction targets, offset evaluation, and progress tracking. TRIGGER when: user says /carbon-footprint, "carbon footprint", "emissions inventory", "GHG inventory", "carbon analysis", "Scope 1 2 3 emissions".
|
| argument-hint | [reporting-period] [scope] [business-unit-or-facility] |
| user-invocable | true |
Carbon Footprint Analysis
Quantify greenhouse gas emissions across Scopes 1, 2, and 3, establish reduction targets, evaluate offsetting strategies, and track decarbonization progress.
Input Gathering
| Input | Description | Required |
|---|
| Organizational boundary | Operational control, financial control, or equity share | Yes |
| Reporting period | Calendar or fiscal year | Yes |
| Facility / site list | All owned and operated locations | Yes |
| Energy consumption data | Electricity (kWh), natural gas (therms), fuel (gallons/liters) | Yes |
| Fleet and travel data | Vehicle mileage, fuel type, air travel records | Yes |
| Emission factors | EPA, DEFRA, IEA, or regional grid factors | Yes |
| Supply chain / procurement | Purchased goods spend, logistics data, waste volumes | No |
| Prior year inventory | Previous GHG inventory for trend analysis | No |
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1 — Boundary Setting and Scope Definition
Define what is in and out of scope:
| Scope | Definition | Examples |
|---|
| Scope 1 | Direct emissions from owned/controlled sources | Boilers, furnaces, fleet vehicles, refrigerants |
| Scope 2 | Indirect emissions from purchased energy | Electricity, steam, heating, cooling |
| Scope 3 | All other indirect emissions in the value chain | 15 categories per GHG Protocol |
Scope 3 Categories (prioritize by materiality):
| Category | Description | Typical Materiality |
|---|
| 1 | Purchased goods and services | High (manufacturing, retail) |
| 2 | Capital goods | Medium |
| 3 | Fuel/energy-related activities | Medium |
| 4 | Upstream transportation | High (if significant logistics) |
| 5 | Waste generated in operations | Low-Medium |
| 6 | Business travel | Medium (services companies) |
| 7 | Employee commuting | Low-Medium |
| 8 | Upstream leased assets | Varies |
| 9 | Downstream transportation | Medium |
| 10 | Processing of sold products | High (B2B components) |
| 11 | Use of sold products | High (energy-using products) |
| 12 | End-of-life treatment | Low-Medium |
| 13 | Downstream leased assets | Varies |
| 14 | Franchises | Varies |
| 15 | Investments | High (financial sector) |
Document inclusion/exclusion rationale for each category.
Step 2 — Activity Data Collection
Gather activity data by emission source:
| Source | Data Required | Primary Collection Method |
|---|
| Stationary combustion | Fuel type, volume consumed | Utility invoices, meter readings |
| Mobile combustion | Fuel type, gallons/liters or miles + MPG | Fleet management system, fuel cards |
| Refrigerants | Type, quantity charged/leaked | Maintenance logs, HVAC records |
| Purchased electricity | kWh consumed per facility | Utility bills |
| Steam / heating / cooling | Energy content purchased | District energy invoices |
| Purchased goods | Spend data or physical quantities | Procurement system, ERP |
| Transportation | Weight-distance (ton-miles/km) or spend | TMS, freight invoices |
| Business travel | Miles by mode (air, rail, car) | Travel booking system, expenses |
| Waste | Tons by disposal method | Waste hauler reports |
Apply data quality scoring (1-5) to each data source; flag anything below 3 for improvement.
Step 3 — Emission Calculations
Apply the GHG Protocol calculation approach:
Scope 1 (direct calculation):
- Emissions = Activity data x Emission factor x GWP
- Example: 10,000 therms natural gas x 5.3 kg CO2e/therm = 53 tCO2e
Scope 2 (dual reporting):
- Location-based: Grid-average emission factors (e.g., EPA eGRID, IEA)
- Market-based: Supplier-specific factors, RECs, PPAs, residual mix
- Report both; market-based reflects procurement choices
Scope 3 (tiered methodology):
| Tier | Method | Data Requirement | Accuracy |
|---|
| Tier 1 | Spend-based | $ spend x EEIO EF | Low |
| Tier 2 | Average-data | Mass/units x avg EF | Medium |
| Tier 3 | Supplier-specific | Primary data from suppliers | High |
Progress from Tier 1 to Tier 3 over successive reporting years, starting with the highest-materiality categories.
Step 4 — Reduction Target Setting
Establish targets aligned with climate science:
| Target Type | Framework | Requirement |
|---|
| Near-term SBT | SBTi | 1.5C-aligned; 42% reduction by 2030 (from 2020) |
| Long-term SBT | SBTi Net-Zero Standard | 90% reduction by 2050 at latest |
| Absolute target | Company-defined | Total tCO2e reduction by a specific year |
| Intensity target | Company-defined | tCO2e per revenue, per unit, per employee |
Build an abatement cost curve (MAC curve) ranking reduction initiatives by $/tCO2e avoided:
| Initiative | Abatement Potential | Cost per tCO2e | Payback Period |
|---|
| LED lighting retrofit | X tCO2e | -$50 (savings) | < 2 years |
| Renewable electricity procurement | X tCO2e | $0-20 | Immediate |
| Fleet electrification | X tCO2e | $30-80 | 3-7 years |
| Process efficiency improvements | X tCO2e | $10-50 | 1-5 years |
| Supplier engagement (Scope 3) | X tCO2e | Variable | 2-5 years |
Step 5 — Offset and Inset Evaluation
Evaluate carbon credits for residual emissions only (after maximum abatement):
| Criteria | Standard | Assessment Question |
|---|
| Additionality | Gold Standard, Verra VCS | Would the project happen without credit revenue? |
| Permanence | All standards | Is the carbon stored for 100+ years? |
| Leakage | All standards | Does the project shift emissions elsewhere? |
| Verification | Third-party auditor | Has an accredited body verified the claims? |
| Co-benefits | SDG alignment | Does the project deliver social/environmental co-benefits? |
| Vintage | Recent (< 3 years) | Are credits from recent project activity? |
Prefer removal-based credits (direct air capture, biochar, enhanced weathering) over avoidance credits. Budget $15-150/tCO2e depending on credit quality.
Step 6 — Monitoring, Reporting, and Continuous Improvement
- Establish a quarterly emissions tracking cadence with automated data pipelines where possible.
- Compare actuals to the linear glide path toward the reduction target.
- Recalculate the base year if structural changes occur (M&A, divestiture, methodology change).
- Report externally via CDP, annual ESG report, and regulatory filings.
- Conduct annual third-party verification (limited or reasonable assurance).
- Update the MAC curve annually as technology costs and emission factors change.
Output Format
## Carbon Footprint Report — [Organization] — [Period]
### Executive Summary
- Total GHG emissions: [X] tCO2e
- Scope 1: [X] tCO2e | Scope 2 (market): [X] tCO2e | Scope 3: [X] tCO2e
- YoY change: [+/-X%] absolute, [+/-X%] intensity
- Progress toward target: [X% of target achieved, Y% remaining by Z year]
### Emissions Inventory
| Scope / Category | tCO2e | % of Total | YoY Change | Data Quality |
|-------------------------|---------|------------|------------|--------------|
| Scope 1 — Stationary | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Scope 1 — Mobile | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Scope 1 — Fugitive | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Scope 2 — Location | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Scope 2 — Market | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Scope 3 — Cat 1 | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| **Total** | **...** | **100%** | **...** | |
### Reduction Target Progress
- Base year: [year] — [X] tCO2e
- Target: [X% reduction by year]
- Current trajectory: [on track / behind / ahead]
- Gap to target: [X] tCO2e
### Abatement Initiatives
| Initiative | Status | Expected Abatement | Cost | Timeline |
|-------------------------|------------|-------------------|--------|----------|
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
### Methodology Notes
- Consolidation approach: [operational / financial control]
- Emission factors: [source and version]
- Scope 3 methodology tier by category: [table]
### Recommendations
1. [Prioritized next actions]
Quality Checklist
Edge Cases
- Company with operations in countries lacking reliable grid emission factors: Use IEA country-level factors as default; document data gaps; apply conservative (higher) factors when uncertain.
- Significant M&A activity during reporting period: Apply the base year recalculation policy; restate historical emissions to include/exclude the acquired/divested entity.
- Renewable energy procurement via unbundled RECs: Market-based Scope 2 can use REC factors, but location-based must still use grid average; document REC vintage and geographic alignment.
- Scope 3 Category 11 (use of sold products) dwarfs all other emissions: This is common for fossil fuel, automotive, and electronics companies; report transparently, set absolute and intensity reduction targets, and invest in product redesign.
- Joint ventures or non-controlling interests: Apply the consolidation approach consistently; if equity share, include proportional emissions; if operational control, include only if the company operates the JV.
- Carbon credit vintage and registry double-counting concerns: Verify credits are retired on the registry, not just purchased; check for corresponding adjustments under Article 6 if applicable.
