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Carbon footprinting for sensible greenhouse gas reduction targets toward net zero
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Big Data Analytics
- Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
Applicable Industries
- Automotive
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
Use Cases
- Energy Management System
Services
- Data Science Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
The Volkswagen (VW) communications department was tasked with calculating its carbon footprint to identify emissions reduction actions, inspire other VW brands, and contribute to the decarbonization of the entire VW group. The challenge was to determine the boundaries for the departmental carbon footprint and identify all emissions directly or indirectly caused by the VW communication department’s activities. The department faced difficulties in distinguishing its activities from the VW group and identifying emission hotspots and levers for reductions. The diverse set of activities required different emissions calculation methods.
About The Customer
The customer is the Volkswagen (VW) Group, a German multinational automotive manufacturing company founded in 1937 and headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. The company has a significant global presence, with 100 production facilities across 27 countries worldwide. In 2019, the company reported a revenue of $282.9 billion and a production output of 10,823,000 vehicles. The specific department involved in this case study is the VW communications department, which plays a special role in helping the company achieve a net-zero emissions target.
The Solution
Sphera’s Sustainability Consulting services were commissioned to calculate the carbon footprint of the VW communications department. Sphera’s extensive expertise in the automotive sector and methodologies for greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting, as well as access to the life-cycle emissions factor database (GaBi), made it the perfect fit for this task. The consultants worked with the various divisions of the communications department to compile all emission-relevant activities and made sensible assumptions using best practice approaches. The carbon footprint was calculated in accordance with the GHG Protocol standard by applying primary emission factors from Sphera’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) database GaBi, emission factors from economic input-output databases, and third-party emission factor databases.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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