Climate Earth: Most Companies Miss 80% of Carbon Footprint

When it comes to estimating their impact on the environment, most companies and organizations miss 80 percent of their carbon footprint, according to Climate Earth, a turnkey provider of enterprise carbon accounting solutions.

“It’s more like a carbon toe print,” said Chris Erickson, Climate Earth founder and chief executive officer. “Companies primarily miss emissions that come from supply chains that feed into their products and services.”

Accurately accounting for all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is expected to be an important topic at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen Dec. 7-18.

One company that is leading the way in tracking emissions in its supply chain is Webcor Builders, the largest West Coast commercial building construction company and a leader in the green building industry.

As a result of its work on Enterprise Carbon Accounting with Climate Earth – which determined that 99.5 percent of Webcor’s carbon footprint exists in its supply chain – the company now asks for GHG data in contract bids from its suppliers.

“It’s a part of the technical specifications, along with length, width, height and strength – we want to know about carbon emissions,” said Phil Williams, Webcor Vice President of Technical Systems and Sustainability. “It’s not a sole criterion for winning a bid, but you can’t compete without it.”

Williams said he hopes that Webcor’s efforts will inspire standards for the construction industry. The company built the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco and is famed for its environmental leadership. Webcor was the first construction company to report its emissions related to fuel and electricity use, referred to as Scopes 1 and 2 respectively, to The California Climate Action Registry (CCAR).

Webcor also recently became the first company in any industry to report comprehensive Scope 3 supply chain GHG emissions to the CCAR. For the construction industry, that includes the production of materials such as steel, concrete, glass, framing, drywall and carpets.

Market forces will soon compel all industries to follow Webcor’s lead, Erickson said, and Enterprise Carbon Accounting (ECA) will become a standard business practice. However, rather than being a burden, ECA will have direct business benefits by helping identify areas of potential cost savings and new revenue sources.

“The writing is on the wall,” Erickson said. “Companies will soon be measured on the environmental performance of their business, just as they’re measured today on cost and quality. The age of carbon transparency is here to stay.”

Climate Earth’s approach to carbon accounting is unique because it is delivered as a full-service reporting solution and is developed with customers. Other companies provide software, which only gives customers tools to do their own analysis. Customers must then hire expert staff, learn to use the tool and be willing to stand behind their numbers. Furthermore, most software solutions do not identify the critical 80 percent of GHG emissions in the supply chain.

Climate Earth uniquely employs the Comprehensive Environmental Data Archive (CEDA), developed by its chief scientist, Dr. Sanwon Suh, and used by the World Resources Institute and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“CEDA is like a calorie counter for carbon,” says Erickson. “It makes it possible to accurately estimate the impact of supply chain factors in a company’s total carbon footprint and, of course, it’s 100 percent standards-compliant.”

Companies also have to focus on materials other than carbon, such as water, waste and other sources of pollution, Erickson added. However, carbon accounting can help a business focus on its total environmental operation and step up efforts to conserve, improve energy efficiency and recycle.

About Climate Earth

Climate Earth, the carbon accounting company, provides automated greenhouse gas tracking and reporting for businesses. Clients receive financial-style statements with metrics tailored to their company and industry. Carbon sources are viewed comprehensively for both materiality and hot spots and for developing strategic initiatives with maximum impact. No previous experience with carbon or life cycle analysis (LCA) is required. Knowledgeable experts oversee the accounting process to assure consistency and an efficient turn-around, usually in 60 days. All Climate Earth solutions are standards compliant and quantify carbon emissions across the full enterprise and supply chain. The less fossil fuel a company relies on, the more secure and prosperous it can be. For more information, visit www.climateearth.com.

About Webcor Builders

Webcor Builders is currently ranked by volume as the largest commercial building contractor in California. More than 35 years of working for such clients as Lucasfilm, California Academy of Sciences, eBay, Oracle Corporation, Symantec and Starwood Lodging has secured its position as a leading builder for new, large-scale and high-profile projects, as well as commercial interiors and existing buildings. Webcor has become well-known for its innovative use of technology and its award-winning leadership in sustainable building and Building Information Modeling. Webcor was recently ranked #2 on ENR’s Top 100 Green Contractors list.