Carbon Handprint Assessment
Carbon Handprint
We help our clients define their carbon handprint—that is, their positive climate impact. A carbon handprint indicates how much emissions a company’s product or service reduces compared to an alternative approach. The carbon handprint is relevant in a company’s value chain. A positive carbon handprint is created when the goods and services provided by a company contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of its customers.
Carbon handprint assessment determines the climate benefit a company provides to its customers. Our carbon handprint studies are based on the methodology developed by VTT and LUT University (Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology) for calculating positive environmental impacts, closely aligned with international practices and publications. We offer strong expertise and concrete solution proposals to help our client companies generate a measurable carbon handprint.
Would you like to learn more about the carbon handprint? Contact us to discuss solutions tailored to your company with our experienced experts.
Third-Party Reviews of Emissions Calculations
Nordic Impact’s Service for Determining a Product’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Nordic Impact also carries out verifications of carbon footprint calculations, with our experienced emissions experts acting as independent assessors.
We perform critical reviews of product carbon footprint calculations or life cycle assessments in accordance with the precision required by ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. An independent verification process enhances the credibility and transparency of the results while ensuring that the LCA has been conducted in compliance with industry standards.
Especially in the preparation of an EPD, third-party verification of the declarations is an essential part of the process in accordance with ISO 14025 and EN 15804 standards. After verification, the finalized EPDs can be published in the databases of the Building Information Foundation or other Nordic EPD program operators. We also verify organizational scope 1–3 greenhouse gas emissions calculations in accordance with the GHG Protocol.
Does your organization need third-party verification for emissions calculations, product LCAs, or EPDs? Get in touch to discuss the most suitable approach with our experienced experts.
Product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)
Determine a Product’s Carbon Footprint or Broader Environmental Impacts with LCA
Calculating a product’s greenhouse gas emissions—also known as carbon footprint calculation—is an established method for assessing the climate impact arising from the different stages of a product’s life cycle. This calculation helps identify emissions stemming from internal processes and the supply chain. It serves as a relevant metric for improving the efficiency of the value chain and operations, and it provides valuable insights for product design to make the product and its manufacturing process increasingly low-emission. This often results in cost savings as well. Once the carbon footprint of a product is known, its climate benefits can also be communicated reliably to stakeholders.
A broader version of product greenhouse gas emissions calculation is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). In addition to greenhouse gas emissions, LCA provides results across several environmental indicators, such as acidification, eutrophication, water usage, and resource depletion. Life Cycle Assessment is a standardized method based on ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. The assessment can cover either all life cycle stages of a product (cradle-to-grave) or only the production phase (cradle-to-gate).
The results of an LCA can, if desired, be reported in an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). An EPD is a standardized document governed by the ISO 14025 standard. In addition, relevant industry-specific standards (e.g., EN 15804 for construction products) and product category-specific PCR (Product Category Rules) guidelines must be followed in its preparation. The EPD must be verified and can then be published in various emissions databases.
Nordic Impact has carried out numerous product carbon footprint calculations, life cycle assessments, and the preparation of environmental product declarations. We also act as an officially approved EPD verifier by the Building Information Foundation (Rakennustietosäätiö).
Calculation of the organisation’s greenhouse gas emissions on the Nordic Impact ESG Platform
Nordic Impact ESG Platform for greenhouse gas emissions calculation
The Nordic Impact ESG Platform is a SaaS-based calculation platform for greenhouse gas emissions. The platform is a clear and cost-effective solution that minimizes the customer’s workload.
Through the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions, the company finds out its starting point for climate responsibility, can set ambitious goals and plan concrete measures to reduce emissions. Using the Nordic Impact ESG Platform, we calculate your organisation’s greenhouse gas emissions in a proficient, accurate and high-quality manner in accordance with the relevant standards.
The ESG platform is designed to facilitate the calculation and monitoring of companies’ greenhouse gas emissions. The ESG Platform provides an easy and efficient way to calculate and report companies’ scope 1–3 greenhouse gas emissions. The new service enables our customers to meet the requirements set by the CSRD regarding the ESRS E1 standard’s climate change data points. In the future, the calculation platform will also be developed to cover other sustainability reporting requirements.
Benefits of the Nordic Impact ESG platform for the customer:
Costs are decreasing
The workload of the annual update calculation is reduced from the cost of the first year (while the subject of the calculation remains the same).
Processes are becoming easier
The solution makes the calculation and reporting process easier, especially for recurring annual calculations (CSRD requires the calculation to be updated annually).
Reduced risk of errors
Storing data in one place increases efficiency and reduces the risk of errors when different users are working on calculations on the same platform. Our customers have access to the information and updates when they want.
More detailed comparison of results
Comparison of annual results becomes more accurate, and the input data can also be updated retroactively.
All data in one place
On the Nordic Impact platform all calculation-related data is stored in one place, where the customer can retrieve the emissions calculation results at any time.
The platform is constantly evolving
The Nordic Impact platform will be further developed to cover other reporting of ESRS data points under the Sustainability Reporting Directive (wider ESG reporting).
ESG Platform Continuous Improvement Template
The calculation solution follows a model of continuous improvement, in which the level of precision of the input data and emission factors is improved year after year.
The web-based, SaaS-powered Nordic Impact Platform brings all the data together in one place and enables real-time viewing of data and results. The Nordic Impact ESG Platform’s annual comparison of greenhouse gas emissions supports the monitoring of emissions development.
The results of the greenhouse gas emissions calculation carried out by Nordic Impact can be used as such in the company’s sustainability reporting. The reporting of results is in line with both the CSRD and GRI reporting practices. The company can use the content of the report directly in its communications. Our greenhouse gas emissions calculation service always includes communication support. In addition, our experienced experts assist throughout the project.
We also carry out third-party assessments of companies’ greenhouse gas emissions calculations.
Discover examples of our carbon footprint calculation services.
Assess your greenhouse gas emissions
The calculation of greenhouse gas emissions plays a key role in responding to the requirements of the changing operating environment and usually concerns companies, organisations, products or services. Nordic Impact implements the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions in an expert and high-quality manner, drawing on its experience from numerous calculation projects. We carry out every customer assignment in accordance with international standards, guidelines and best practices. We also help identify emission reduction measures and implement climate-responsible communications.
To ensure that the scope the greenhouse gas emissions calculation is defined, the initial data collected, and the calculation itself carried out correctly from the outset, it is worth relying on the help of an experienced expert. Nordic Impact has calculated the greenhouse gas emissions of numerous companies and helped customers in various industries with the challenges of reporting their emissions.
Want to find out your company’s greenhouse gas emissions? Get in touch with our experienced specialists to discuss the right solutions for your business.