Research Tips with Dr. Juliana

  Nigerian commercial building with a diesel generator, electricity meter and rooftop solar panels, illustrating carbon footprint measurement and energy use. By Dr Juliana Philip Ndalnamu Research Tips with Dr. Juliana Imagine a hotel announcing that it will reduce its carbon footprint by 30% over three years. It sounds ambitious, but can management explain how much greenhouse gas the hotel currently emits? Without a credible baseline, it is difficult to measure progress. Last week’s Sustainability Monday article explained Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions. The next step is learning how to estimate them using activity data and emission factors. This guide introduces the basic methods and shows how Nigerian businesses can begin organising their data. 1. What is activity data? Activity data is a measurable record of an activity that causes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It tells an organisation how much fuel, electricity, material or service it used during a defined repo...

  Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 carbon emissions explained using a hotel example Imagine managing a hotel in Nigeria. Every month, you review two familiar bills: diesel for the generator and electricity purchased from the grid. They tell you something important about the hotel’s energy use, but do they tell you its entire carbon story? Not quite. Food has been grown and transported before it reaches the kitchen. Bed linen may be washed by an external laundry. Staff travel to work, and the hotel’s waste must be treated or disposed of. These activities can also generate greenhouse gas emissions, even when they do not come directly from the hotel’s own equipment. This is where carbon footprint measurement becomes more useful than simply checking fuel and electricity bills. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) groups organisational emissions into three categories: Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 . Understanding the difference helps organisations build a clearer emissions invento...