Carbon Footprint of Chemicals and Climate Change

Greenhouse gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Water (H2O), Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), and Ozone (O3) naturally present in the atmosphere-Earth system are transparent to short-wavelength radiation arriving from the sun, but are much less transparent to the long-wavelength radiation being reflected back. By trapping heat energy reflected from our planet, these gases cause relatively greater warming compared to a greenhouse-gas-free state, thereby creating the "Greenhouse Effect" on Earth. Every change in this natural heat balance, which is the source of life on Earth, affects the climate system. Greenhouse gases include Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorinated Compounds (Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6); Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF3); Perfluorocarbons (PFCs); Fluorinated Ethers (HFEs); Perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs)), and these gases affect the greenhouse effect of our planet through their heat-trapping properties, in other words, their global warming potential. As the quantity of greenhouse gases increases, concentrations in the atmosphere-Earth system grow, causing increases in global average temperatures and climate change. Every production, consumption, service, and chemical undertaken for human welfare and comfort has a cost to the planet and an impact on climate change. From source to end use, each chemical creates a "Carbon Footprint" through the greenhouse gas emissions it causes. Each chemical creates a dual carbon impact. A chemical affects climate change through its own carbon footprint and, alongside intermediate inputs, through the carbon footprint of the product and/or service it supplies. Carbon footprint is the measure of greenhouse gas emissions in carbon dioxide equivalent caused directly or indirectly by a person, community, state, organization, event, or product/service within a specific timeframe. Carbon footprint reveals the environmental impact of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on the global carbon balance. A company determines carbon footprint to calculate total greenhouse gas emissions and the greenhouse gas emissions of its products/services. Carbon footprint can be determined based on business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) relationships. When companies begin calculating their carbon footprint, they start managing their carbon and become part of the low-carbon economy. A form of carbon check-up begins. Emissions are calculated for input sourcing, production-consumption-service phases, and waste management to identify what can be done for reduction. Cost reduction opportunities are identified. The supply chain is examined over its life cycle and current conditions are documented. For each phase, greenhouse gas emission impacts are included in decision-making mechanisms, ensuring continuity and reduction in environmental management. In the company's environmental stance and visibility, greening based on concrete data and transparent corporate responsibility is demonstrated. Carbon footprint is a numerical representation of environmental responsibility. Carbon footprint becomes an important market advantage for meeting certain product demand. Determining carbon footprint can lead to subsequent advantages. Companies that excel at resource management also advance in sustainability management. The most important document generally accepted by business and government for calculating greenhouse gas quantities is the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (http://ghgprotocol.org) published by the joint initiative of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Resources Institute (WRI). The vision of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative is to harmonize international greenhouse gas emission calculation and reporting standards to enable different business structures and other climate-related initiatives to adopt consistent approaches in calculating greenhouse gas emissions. In carbon footprint calculation, the ISO 14064 standard series, which voluntarily aims at greenhouse gas reduction, is used to determine the company's greenhouse gas inventory, establish corporate carbon footprint, and implement emission reduction, monitoring, verification, and reporting. Thus, through emission reduction activities and ultimately offsetting emissions that cannot be reduced through carbon purchases, the company succeeds in combating climate change and advancing in the low-carbon economy. In addition to this determination, companies can also establish carbon footprint for their product portfolios. Product carbon footprint is determined using the ISO 14067 standard. This standard is based on Life Cycle Assessment (ISO 14040, ISO 14044) and the ISO 14020 Environmental Labels and Declarations series standards (ISO 14021, ISO 14024, ISO 14025) that demonstrate the appropriateness of companies' environmental commitments. In our country, "Greenhouse Gas Emissions Monitoring" is conducted through related regulations for sectors accounting for approximately half of total greenhouse gas emissions, namely electricity and steam generation, and energy-intensive sectors such as cement, iron-steel, refinery, ceramics, lime, paper, and glass. National greenhouse gas emissions fall under the responsibility of the Climate Change Department Head of the Environmental Management Directorate General of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, Monitoring of Greenhouse Gases and Emissions Trading Branch Directorate. For other sectors, participation is voluntary. Determining carbon footprint is a management decision-making strategy. After decision-making, all company employees, both blue-collar and white-collar workers, must understand and take ownership of the subject. Creating a core team within the company and establishing a green team proves useful. Subsequently, relevant standard activities can be carried out more easily. Following carbon footprint determination, the essential task is reducing the carbon footprint. Carbon footprint determination and reduction activities are the driving force of chemical companies' sustainability action plans. Along this path, company personnel become greener and/or new green employment is created. In this way, green chemistry products enter the market. Chemicals exported by Turkey should be the output of the cleanest technology. Because export to the EU, which is advancing with the "2050 Low-Carbon Roadmap," will not be easy. For this reason, new investments and rehabilitation work targeting export should focus on innovation and low-carbon economy. The country should not remain outside global changes and developments. The prominence of human values and the growing importance of social capital should not be overlooked. The necessity of cooperation within business competition should not be forgotten. The importance of eco-labeled products for exports should be properly and sufficiently understood. For increasing export figures in the chemistry sector, advancing in the low-carbon economy through the research-development-design-innovation-brand quartet and domestic technological development, and developing sustainability strategies are essential. Prof. Dr. Filiz Karaosmanoğlu - İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi - Faculty Member - Sustainable Production and Consumption Association (SÜT-D) Chair