CARBON OFFSET METHODOLOGY

In October 2021, we started to offset the emissions generated by our inbound logistics and packaging manufacturing by investing in a carbon offset project in Myanmar.

1. CARBON NEUTRALITY

The concept of Carbon Neutrality is wide in its interpretations and can be unclear on the way to reach it. Our intention here is to explain the whole path as clearly and transparent as it can be.

Every month, we calculate our CO2e emissions and purchase the respective amount of carbon credits. To ensure that we are doing it the right way, we decided to work with Climate Partner: a renown and trustworthy organization specialized in certifying corporations in their efforts towards carbon neutrality. 

Climate Partner supports us in clarifying our CO2e emissions along the value chain, assists us to improve our practices and helps us in purchasing certified carbon offset credits.

The GHG (Greenhouse Gases) Protocol, along with the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, has created an international standard that accounts for corporate GHG emissions reporting.

Since the late 90s, a regulated framework made of 3 scopes was implemented to calculate CO2e emissions based on the GHG Protocol. The latter resulted in delimiting Scopes 1, and 2. After, in October 2011, Scope 3, which currently controls the majority of greenhouse gas emissions produced upstream and downstream by companies, was launched.

So, we listed all our emission’s sources and divided into three parts. These three parts are called Scope 1, 2 and 3.

• Scope 1 includes all direct emissions generated by WHAT’sIN through, for example, company-owned facilities or vehicle fleets.
• Scope 2 includes emissions released through purchased energy such as electricity and district heating.
• Scope 3 encompasses indirect emissions such as employee commuting and purchased services.

After this classification, we gathered all the relevant information (invoices, routes, mode of transportations…), and start to calculate the CO₂ equivalents*.

These CO₂ equivalents (or CO₂e) are calculated using consumption data and emission factors.

Primary data was used wherever possible (for example, invoices from the supplier were used for calculating the weight of each shipment) and if primary data could not be used, then secondary data from recognised sources was substituted in its place.

The emission factors originate from internationally recognised databases such as Ecoinvent and GEMIS.

For October 2021, the CO₂e emissions of WHAT’sIN were divided as follow:

             If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at cs@whatsin.hk or +852 2178 2229

Corporate Carbon Footprint:

*CO₂ equivalent: The CCF measurement factored in all greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol: carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃). Each of these gases' affect the atmosphere differently and remain in the atmosphere for different lengths of time. Rather than reporting on each gas seperately, they are expressed as a CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) – referred to as ‘CO₂’ for the sake of simplicity. A CO₂e is essentially a conversion into a ‘global warming potential’ value that enables the different gases influence on global warming to be compared. This ‘global warming potential’ relates to a time horizon, which is normally 100 years. To provide an example, the CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) of methane is 28. This means that the effect of methane on global warming is 28 times greater than CO₂ over 100 years.