The Bilan Carbone® method: for assessing green house gas emissions
All human activities generate, directly or indirectly, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, because all modern activities rely directly or indirectly on fossil fuel use.As these fuels are subject to depletion and modify the climate, all industrial and service companies, government agencies and not-for-profit groups should assess their emissions, because these emissions are a good indicator of their global pressure on the environment. Sooner or later, this global pressure will translate into extra costs.
The Bilan Carbone® method is a simple and effective solution for ranking emissions by source and for launching a dynamic emissions reduction process.
Bilan Carbone® is both a tool and a methodology.
• The main component of the tool is a ready-to-use Excel spreadsheet that calculates the emissions
caused by all the processes necessary for the existence of a given activity. Space heating,
combustion for manufacturing processes, freight shipments, passengers travel, production of raw
materials used, waste treatment...To take these items into account, simply fill in the spreadsheet with
energy consumption figures, kilometres travelled, quantities of materials purchased, etc. For each
source of CO2 or other greenhouse gases, these data are then converted by the spread sheet into
the amount of carbon emitted, using fully documented emission factors.
• The reduction process is based on the results obtained with the spreadsheet.With these in hand,
users can establish an action plan to be implemented in order to reduce GHG emissions, launching the process to reduce energy dependence.
What is to be gained by conducting a Bilan Carbone® inventory?
Beyond recording emissions, the Bilan Carbone® inventory goes hand in hand with environmental
management, by :
• raising employees and companies awareness of climate change and fossil fuel depletion,
• setting priorities for emissions reductions,
• building increased capacity to react in an uncertain world,
• defining, implementing and monitoring reduction measures in the short and long term.
Whether you want to anticipate new regulations concerning GHG emissions, or master fluctuating fossil energy costs, the Bilan Carbone® assessment will enable you to evaluate your company's exposure, or even vulnerability, pertaining to these two variables that are so important for the development of corporate activity.
Now is the time to join the ranks of the one-hundred-plus companies that have already used Bilan Carbone®.
Conducting a Bilan Carbone® inventory
The Bilan Carbone® method is available to users via two pathways :
• licences are granted to all participants in Bilan Carbone® training sessions organized by ADEME. Roughly ten training sessions are held annually.
• companies can hire a consultant who has completed the course of training. Located in France companies can apply for financial support from ADEME when they do so.
What emissions are assessed ?
All direct or indirect emissions (CO2 or other greenhouse gas) of the company are taken into account.
Further information : www.ademe.fr/bilan-carbone
