Carrying out an integrated calculation of carbon dioxide emissions per passenger during air transportation is not difficult at all. In addition to the flight distance, it is necessary to have information about the fuel consumption of the aircraft and the amount of carbon dioxide intake when burning 1 kg of fuel. For example, when flying from Moscow to Sochi, when the Airbus A320 is 100% full, 76 kg of CO2 falls on each passenger. Below is a calculation prepared by HPBS:
This calculation of emissions is significantly simplified, since it takes into account CO2 emissions only at the time of flight for a specific case. In fact, the company should implement an emissions monitoring system based on the resources consumed and draw the boundaries of the division of responsibility. For example, the calculation described above does not take into account greenhouse gas emissions for the extraction and delivery of fuel, as well as for the production and maintenance of the fleet of aircraft.
The total amount of carbon that makes up the “carbon footprint” cannot be calculated accurately due to the need to collect a large amount of specific data and the fact that carbon dioxide can also be produced during natural processes. Also, the CO2 equivalent for various elements was adjusted over time:
Reporting standards for calculating emissions
— ISO 14064-2006 Standard on greenhouse gases in wings of UN’s Climate Change Conference (GOST R ISO 14064-1-2007) Greenhouse gases. Requirements and guidelines for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removal at the organization level, for quantification, monitoring and verification
— ISO 14065:2013 Greenhouse gases — Requirements for greenhouse gas validation and verification bodies for use in accreditation or other forms of recognition. Greenhouse gases — Requirements for verification and organizations conducting verification
— ISAE 3410 Assurance Engagements on Greenhouse Gas Statements; Reporting on Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The strategies of zero greenhouse gas emissions are adopted by leading companies in the world such as Siemens, Google, IKEA, P&G, etc.
To get acquainted with the full list of companies declaring a full transition to renewable energy is presented on the website