At Faro Barcelona, we have a strict commitment to sustainability. One of our big challenges for 2022 has been to obtain carbon footprint calculation certification in accordance with international standard ISO14064-1, as measurement of the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in the execution of our activities during the years 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Furthermore, in these three years at Faro we have reduced our carbon footprint by 8,9% thanks to the sustainability initiatives implemented in recent years. It is undoubtedly a huge milestone in our commitment to contribute to reducing negative impacts on the planet.
What is the carbon footprint, and why is it so important for companies?
The carbon footprint is a certified measurement of “the total greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted due to the direct or indirect effect of an individual, organization, event or product” (UK Carbon Trust 2008).
What goals are we pursuing with the verification of our carbon footprint?
At Faro Barcelona, we are conscious of the current environmental situation. This is why our aim is to contribute to the welfare of people and of our environment.
Thanks to this certification, we can identify the most critical aspects in the carbon footprint area and identify areas for improvement. An opportunity to know the actual volume of greenhouse gas emissions we generate in order to implement compensation strategies through different programmes.
What data do we consider in our carbon footprint calculation?
The greenhouse gases (GHG) we have taken into account are all those considered in the Kyoto Protocol: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and also hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) associated with refrigerant gas leaks. Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs) are also included.
What is the methodology used for the calculation of our carbon footprint?
This calculation is based on standard ISO 14064-1:2018, which specifies the approach for the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals in the area of organizations.
We have considered all the direct and indirect GHG emissions caused by our organisation’s activity, that is, the three scopes defined in the standard:
- Direct GHG emissions and removals
- Indirect GHG emissions due to imported energy
- Other indirect GHG emissions and removals
What are Faro Barcelona’s carbon footprint results?
The years evaluated in this report are 2019, 2020 and 2021, taking 2019 as a basis. The carbon footprint results obtained are:
FARO Barcelona’s carbon footprint has been diminishing progressively since 2019, in 2021 totalling 23,545 tonnes of CO2, i.e., 8.9% less than in 2019. This reduction, a very significant achievement, occurred despite the increase in units sold.
The carbon footprint per product unit sold diminished by 14.1% in 2021 compared with 2019 (20.85 kg CO2/product in 2021 vs 24.28 in 2019).
The breakdown by emission category shows that the majority of categories have diminished, both in 2020 and in 2021:
What have been the initiatives implemented to reduce GHGs?
The initiatives implemented to reduce greenhouse gases have been:
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Installation of photovoltaic panels in the centre of Castellbisbal and contracting of 100% green energy.
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Design of products based on methodologies that identify environmental impacts from the moment of conceptualization.
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100% use of packaging with recycled cardboard boxes printed in a single ink and without staples to facilitate disassembly and their correct recycling. Elimination of single-use plastics and their replacement by recyclable paper bags, as well as recycled cellulose polypropylene in some packaging, and use of recycled cardboard chips to protect the product during transportation in 60% of shipments. Furthermore, optimization of the size of the packaging of each product to reduce the amount of material used.
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Extensive implementation of teleworking in all the posts in which it is possible.
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Development of a digital catalogue which helps to reduce the sending of catalogues, and which is adjusted each year based on actual demand.
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Progressive implementation of modular products, which occupy less space and less cardboard in transportation, and which are repairable, increasing their useful life.
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Use of quality materials, designs made to last, without planned obsolescence.
What are the next challenges proposed by FARO with regard to sustainability?
The next immediate step has been to register with the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge's carbon footprint registry in order to obtain the Ministry for Ecological Transition's seal, which registers our carbon footprint for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021:
For this, we have submitted to the Ministry for validation a reduction plan with goals and measures to achieve them.
The most significant measures or initiatives are:
- Product design and re-design with the purpose of reducing its carbon footprint in terms of life cycle (production, transport, use and end of life). In this regard, the type of materials used, the weight of the products and their energy efficiency are the three key aspects to consider.
- With the support of European Directive EPREL 2019/15, any products that do not meet energy efficiency regulatory requirements will be re-designed and/or replaced.
This promise means one more step in our commitment to sustainability and continuous improvement. At Faro Barcelona, our objective is to keep monitoring our carbon footprint in the coming years, in order to conduct an appropriate follow-up on the results of all the measures we carry out.
Each step we take towards sustainability and awareness brings us closer to a more respectful and fairer world, so from Faro Barcelona, we invite you to join this initiative.