Emission scopes help to categorize greenhouse gas (GHGs) reporting efforts

- By:

Courtesy of Verisae

Emission scopes are being used to determine the category of chemical and usage area, so that facilities can understand and monitor their greenhouse gas impact. The US Clean Air Act and the Montreal Protocol have established that emissions of harmful substances must be controlled worldwide. When discharged into the air, these chemicals can cause severe damage to the global environment.

Three different emission scopes deal with the release of dangerous chemicals be it intentional or unintentional. The protocols covered include tracking, reporting and accountability.

One of the three emission scopes, scope one, deals with greenhouse gas emissions which occur directly from the source. For example, should a refrigeration and air conditioning system leak gas. This category includes fossil fuels and also covers any company owned assets that have the potential to discharge greenhouse gases.

The second category of emission scopes include electricity. This designation includes indirect discharges during production. Facility owners can conserve energy and reduce the amount of electricity produced.

Owners of facilities that use products manufactured elsewhere, have the ability to cut down on their usage or find environmentally friendly alternatives. In this way, certain items used in the production process which are in turn manufactured through a process which uses harmful greenhouse gases can be curtailed. These indirect emissions fall under scope three of the emission scopes.

Several harmful greenhouse gases are covered under the emission scopes, for example chlorofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide, perfluorocarbons, methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride and nitrous oxide. It is estimated that 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide is produced annually in the United States alone through fugitive emissions of refrigerant and other greenhouse gases.

A wide range of industries use emission scopes, including universities, hospitals and corporations that are equipped with heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems or refrigeration and air- conditioning systems. Facility managers must identify how greenhouse gases are used both directly and indirectly, taking steps to minimize usage and track potential discharge.

As government agencies now require strict tracking and reporting of greenhouse gases, so companies that specialize in software development have emerged with options to track emission scopes and make the process more user-friendly. Any company that fails to comply with government edicts faces strict censure.

Customer comments

No comments were found for Emission scopes help to categorize greenhouse gas (GHGs) reporting efforts. Be the first to comment!