The detailed acquisition and recording of the relevant emission sources (energy, mobility, raw materials usage etc.) of companies, products or services is called the CO2 footprint. The aim of the CO2 footprint is to form a profile of the actual status of the emission and to depict points of approach for emission reduction.Every activity that we take for granted and carry out day after day influences the individual CO2 footprint Thus, the annual average CO2 footprint of a German citizen is about 11 tonnes CO2. Every kilometre driven, every manufacture and every use of foodstuffs and other products causes emissions. Every time we switch on the light, the use of electrical energy generates carbon dioxide. A traditional filament bulb, incidentally, generates 65 kilograms more CO2 per year than an energy-saving lamp (source: "Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen" party). A CO2 footprint creates consciousness and holds good as a direction marker for a lower-emission economy and lower-emission living.
For calculating the product-specific CO2 footprint (emission balance sheet), the total of all the occurring CO2 emissions of the entire value creation chain are determined:
From raw materials, production and transport through trade and usage up to recycling and disposal. The CO2 footprint can be reduced through emission savings in the manufacturing process. A large proportion of the emission often occurs in the usage phase and can be positively influenced by behavioural change of the consumer.
