Project Carbon Footprint

Project carbon footprint refers to the greenhouse gas emissions generated during the entire life cycle of a project. Typically, projects aim is to assess climate impacts, including both carbon footprint as well as any positive climate impacts (such as carbon handprint), but in some cases, also other environmental impacts are assessed.

We conduct studies based on life cycle assessment methods for various projects following the general LCA standards (e.g. ISO 14040 and 14044) but also other case-specific guidelines, the use of which is determined based on the specific needs and purposes of the study. Our team has experience in performing sustainability calculations in line with the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) for biofuel producing plants, as well as emission reduction potential calculations for projects’ applications to the Climate Fund and the EU Innovation Fund. We also carry out preliminary calculations on various process alternatives, which can be utilized for process development before the funding application.

The EU directive RED (II), i.e. the European Parliament and Council Directive (EU) 2018/2001 promoting the use of energy from renewable sources, establishes sustainability criteria for biofuels used in transport and energy production. At Etteplan, we perform calculations for biofuels according to the RED and The Finnish Energy Authority's (Energiavirasto) guidelines to ensure compliance with required sustainability systems for producers.

The Innovation Fund is an EU funding program focused on innovative technologies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In funding applications, one requirement is determining a project's GHG emission reduction potential following a specific calculation rule. This GHG emission reduction potential calculation examines the project's potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions over a 10-year period compared to a scenario where the project is not implemented. We carry out GHG emission reduction potential calculations for Innovation Fund applications for projects classified under the energy intensive industries (EII) category.

In certain types and phases of projects, national legislation demands climate impact assessments. Our experts have experience in conducting project-level environmental impact assessments according to the EIA procedure, as well as program-level environmental impact assessments (SEA). According to the EIA procedure, our assessments identify and evaluate direct and indirect impacts on emissions and carbon sinks, as well as climate change-related risks associated with different project types. We assess the overall impact of the project on global warming by comparing the total emissions of different alternatives with national and regional emissions and emission reduction targets.

When it comes to reliable project carbon footprint calculations that drive emission reduction efforts while complying with sustainability criteria and national legislation, choose Etteplan. Our strong expertise in life cycle assessment methods, compliance with RED guidelines, Innovation Fund applications, and environmental impact assessments enables us to provide accurate and valuable insights for your projects.