Research has shown that most businesses are not aware of how much carbon they produce. In 2021, the UK government called on small businesses to lead the charge in reducing their Carbon Footprint and set out a target to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
What is Carbon Footprint?
A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, event, organisation, service, place, or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent.
The importance of your Carbon Footprint…
The significance of this metric lies in its direct correlation to climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in adverse effects such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and disruptions to ecosystems.
By being mindful, individuals can make informed choices to minimise their impact on the environment. Ultimately, caring about one’s carbon footprint is not just an environmental responsibility; it is a collective effort to safeguard the planet for current and future generations.
The best way to tackle climate change is to reduce your carbon footprint by taking your everyday carbon emissions into consideration. This means that you can increase or decrease your carbon footprint with your everyday choices.
The ultimate goal is to become ‘Carbon Neutral’, which is where your carbon output is effectively reduced to zero, by offsetting your carbon usage.
Calculating Carbon Footprint with Cim50
Following the government announcement, we have included a unique set of features within Cim50 that allow you to calculate the Carbon Footprint for your manufactured products.
Our manufacturing software allows you to calculate the carbon emissions generated from your manufacturing processes through two different modes.
Both calculations ultimately result in a ‘Carbon Cost’ defined in KgCO2e (Kilograms of CO2 equivalent) which is calculated when a works order is completed.
You can interrogate your carbon emissions produced during a certain period allowing you to implement changes into your manufacturing processes.
Simple Mode
To calculate your carbon emissions in simple capture mode, all you need are your fuel bills. Tell Cim50 what types of fuel you are using as a business, how much you are using, and over what period of time.
Using the carbon footprint of your purchased items, as detailed from your suppliers, along with your production output, Cim50 will calculate the carbon cost for your manufactured items.
Complete Mode
To capture the exact carbon costs for your manufactured items, you would use full capture mode. This mode allows you to enter further information, as detailed below.
- Enter fuel usage and type against your production machinery.
- Enter details of your vehicle fleet, including annual mileage, fuel type and emissions data.
- Carbon Overheads – enter your business fuel bills (Gas/Electricity etc) into Cim50. The system will then calculate what portion of those bills are overheads based on the production output of your system over that time period.
Along with the carbon footprint of your purchased items, as detailed from your suppliers, Cim50 will provide you with an accurate carbon cost for your finished goods.
Reporting Carbon Usage
A new dashboard has been added to Cim50, which will allow you to see your carbon footprint on a monthly basis.
This dashboard will highlight which products have the highest carbon footprint, what machinery and vehicles are costing you the most, and allow you to make informed decisions to help reduce your carbon footprint.
There are numerous reports available throughout Cim50 giving you insight into your carbon usage.
Offset your Carbon Usage with Cim50
You will be able to offset carbon usage by funding carbon offsetting projects or via purchasing renewable energy credits located in the UK and Europe.
You can choose to give your customer the option of offsetting the carbon usage for the items they’re purchasing, or offset it on their behalf and share the good news with them.
Interested in our Carbon Calculator for Manufacturers? Enter your details in the form below and we’ll be in touch!
