CEA Carbon Footprint & Emissions Tracking 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A company uses the 'operational control' approach to set its organizational boundary. Which facilities are included?
- Only facilities the company owns outright
- Facilities where the company has full authority to introduce and implement operating policies (Correct answer)
- Facilities where the company holds more than 50% equity
- All facilities in the supply chain
Correct answer: Facilities where the company has full authority to introduce and implement operating policies
Under the operational control approach, companies account for 100% of emissions from operations over which they have full authority to implement policies.
Question 2: Which greenhouse gas has the highest 100-year global warming potential among the major GHGs regulated under the Kyoto Protocol?
- Methane (CH4)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O)
- Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) (Correct answer)
- Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Correct answer: Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) has a GWP of approximately 23,900, making it the most potent of the six Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gases.
Question 3: What is 'activity data' in the context of emissions calculation?
- Publicly reported emissions figures from peer companies
- Quantitative measures of human activity that result in GHG emissions (Correct answer)
- Satellite measurements of atmospheric CO2 concentrations
- Regulatory compliance thresholds for industrial emitters
Correct answer: Quantitative measures of human activity that result in GHG emissions
Activity data is the quantitative measure (e.g., fuel volume, kWh consumed, vehicle miles traveled) combined with emission factors to calculate GHG emissions.
Question 4: Which calculation method multiplies activity data by a published conversion factor to estimate GHG emissions?
- Direct measurement method
- Emission factor method (Correct answer)
- Mass balance method
- Engineering estimation
Correct answer: Emission factor method
The emission factor method calculates emissions by multiplying activity data (e.g., fuel consumed) by a factor representing emissions per unit of activity.
Question 5: A logistics company tracks its delivery fleet fuel consumption to report emissions. This is an example of tracking which scope?
- Scope 2
- Scope 3 downstream
- Scope 1 (Correct answer)
- Scope 3 upstream
Correct answer: Scope 1
Fuel combustion in company-owned or leased vehicles is a Scope 1 direct emission source under the GHG Protocol.
Question 6: In carbon footprint reporting, what is the purpose of a 'base year'?
- To set the legal liability start date for emissions regulations
- To provide a reference point against which emissions reductions are measured over time (Correct answer)
- To define the fiscal year for carbon credit purchases
- To establish the first year of mandatory reporting under EPA rules
Correct answer: To provide a reference point against which emissions reductions are measured over time
A base year provides a historical reference point so that changes in an organization's GHG emissions can be tracked and reductions can be quantified over time.
Question 7: Which protocol is the most widely used international standard for corporate GHG accounting and reporting?
- ISO 14001
- GHG Protocol Corporate Standard (Correct answer)
- EPA Climate Leaders Program
- ASTM E2797
Correct answer: GHG Protocol Corporate Standard
The GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, developed by WRI and WBCSD, is the dominant global framework for corporate greenhouse gas accounting and reporting.
CEA Carbon Footprint & Emissions Tracking 3
A company uses the 'operational control' approach to set its organizational boundary.
Which facilities are included?