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What does zero impact mean?
Let's start with an assumption: any human-produced activity produces emissions and, consequently, an impact on the environment.
Literally, the term "zero impact" means a situation in which there is noCO2 eq. As we will see in a moment, however, it is impossible for a company, and for anyone in general, to produce zero greenhouse gas emissions .
Often, all too often, we read or hear claims by companies that they have zero impact on the environment or that their products do not emitCO2, misleading consumers and doing greenwashing.
Terms such as zero CO2, zero impact, zero environmental impact, etc. are mistakenly used to refer to products, services, or processes whose emissions are low or, more simply, have been offset. Which is quite different from having zero impact.
What does "offset" mean?
Emissions offsetting, or carbon offsetting, is the activity of balancing one's impact on global warming by supporting actions that avoid, reduce, or remove greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.
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Why it is impossible to emit zeroCO2
Energy production, transportation, agriculture and industry require the use of natural resources and the production of greenhouse gas emissions as an inevitable side effect. Not only that, even people's daily activities, such as eating and even breathing, have an impact on the environment.
Virtually any human activity produces greenhouse gas emissions. This would be enough to understand how a zero impact on the planet is indeed impossible, but that is not all.
One would think that the huge strides in technology could lead to new solutions to solve the climate change problem; in fact, we are already getting a taste of really effective solutions, such as DACCs (Direct Air Carbon Capture), a CO2 capture technology that involves removing the greenhouse gas directly from the air.
Although the use of these new technologies is an excellent solution in the fight against climate change, it is still not enough to be able to think about achieving zero impact on the planet, not only because of the cost, but also because the very production of these machines produces greenhouse gas emissions.
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Zero CO2: watch out for false solutions
As consumer interest in environmental sustainability has grown, and as restrictions on corporate emissions have increased, so too has the demand from companies for solutions that can help them reduce their environmental impact.
The increase in demand has inevitably also led to an increase in solutions for embarking on sustainability paths, which are not always certified, and from which it is best to steer clear if one does not want to risk accusations of greenwashing.
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How to distinguish a serious sustainability path, from one that could prove detrimental to your business
There are various standards and norms for the regulation of sustainability pathways, such as:
- the GHG Protocol, the world's most widely followed standard for calculating corporate emissions;
- Verra and Gold Standard, which are the main international standards for verification and certification of offset projects;
- ISO standards, such as ISO 14064 and ISO 14067, which define how the assessment of an organization's or product's contribution to climate change should be structured and carried out.
Precisely to ensure that consumers have reliable, comparable and verifiable information at their disposal, the European Commission incorporated the Green Claims Directive to the development strategy adopted in 2019, so as to establish requirements applicable to companies operating in the Union market.
Simply put, when looking for a solution to start on a path to environmental sustainability, it is important to check that it has certifications and follows the right international standards.
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Can planting trees be called a real solution for a company that wants to reduce its environmental impact?
The answer is no, but let's try to understand why.
Planting a tree, per se, is not a bad initiative, but it should not be confused with clearing: these are entirely different actions!
- Planting a tree involves above all a symbolic gesture, with great evocative and emotional power, that makes the person who performs it believe that his or her consumption of CO₂ is somehow balanced by a good deed.
- Offsetting, on the other hand, is based on precise CO₂ calculations and units, and is done only with certified projects created for the sole purpose of capturing or not emitting CO₂.
So, we're not saying that planting trees is a bad action at all, but you have to follow very specific guidelines: doing so without following standards based on a scientific approach is quite different fromoffsetting and greatly increases the risk of being accused of greenwashing.
Want to learn more? Read our article dedicated to tree-planting.
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What to do to really reduce your company'scarbon footprint
A serious path to environmental sustainability involves 4 steps:
- Calculation of the company'sCO2 eq emissions;
- emissions reduction strategy;
- Offsetting non-reducible emissions through certified projects;
- communication of the results obtained.
To avoid greenwashing, it is important for the company to communicate its actions only at the end of the sustainability journey, after taking concrete actions in favor of the environment.
Calculation of the company'sCO2 emissions
It consists of conducting data collection and analysis to estimate greenhouse gas emissions, and then making a report with a summary of the results and the approach used.
To be adequate it must:
- Follow international standards (GHG Protocol);
- Be verifiable by third-party entities.
Reducing the company'sCO2 emissions
Targets are defined based on company characteristics, industry, growth trends and investment plan, and then reduction and efficiency strategies are identified to align the company with the targets set by the United Nations in the Paris Agreement, such as theNet Zero goal.
The decarbonization strategy must have a target that is transparent, credible, and achievable within a defined time frame.
Want to know all the details about Net Zero? Download our free guide!
Compensation of non-reducible emissions
Offsetting emissions is a key part of the solution to climate change. It takes place through the support of certified projects that aim to capture or not emitCO2.
There are different types of offset projects:
- nature based, such as reforestation or forest protection projects;
- technology-based, which enhance the use of technology to generate environmental benefits, such as the use of renewable energy.
Communication of sustainable results
The latter, as we have seen, is a particularly delicate step in the climate journey: you may underestimate its importance, risking treating it lightly, miscommunicating and risking committing greenwashing; or you may decide not to communicate the results obtained at all, because you underestimate the benefits or out of fear of making mistakes that could lead to penalties (in this case we speak of greenhushing).
Indeed, communication in the field of environmental sustainability can be complicated, without the support of an experienced person and without proper assets.
At Up2You, we accompany companies along the entire decarbonization journey, from calculation to communication, providing certified and tailored solutions to achieve the required goals.
Contact us to learn more!
