Choosing between a digital carbon footprint calculator & consulting project
Biocode
Climate Observer
Carbon footprint calculations are still often purchased as one-time consultancy projects. The price comparison at the end of the article shows that a company can save up to 75% of costs by choosing a digital carbon footprint calculator. Using the calculator for in-house carbon footprint calculations also increases your expertise and enables continuous carbon accounting and monitoring in the long term.
Making emission calculations more efficient and cost-effective
Traditionally, carbon footprint calculations have been conducted through consultancy projects where a consultant with expertise in life cycle assessment performs the calculations and reports the results to the client. This model is based on hourly billing, and the cost depends on the number of hours the consultant spends on the calculations.
While the work of a consultant is valuable, individual life cycle assessments can accumulate significant costs, often reaching several thousand euros. When there is a need for a large number of assessments or continuous calculations, the overall cost can quickly become prohibitively high.
A digital calculation tool calculates emissions and performs life cycle assessments based on the data you input into the tool. Instead of a one-time consulting project, you gain access to a tool that operates on an annual license and updates itself as calculation methods evolve and climate science becomes more precise. This makes carbon footprint calculation cost-effective and easily updatable.
Educate users through self-calculations
Using Biocode has given us a lot of ‘ah-ha!’ experiences. It has been insightful to use the calculator and see how different raw materials affect the end result. We have learned that rapeseed oil, for example, can increase the carbon footprint of products quite a lot.
One of the key advantages of the carbon footprint calculator is the knowledge it imparts to the user. The calculator standardizes and automates complex carbon footprint calculations, enabling users to generate results and create reports themselves. This makes it easier to understand the components of one’s own carbon footprint and the factors influencing it.
While carbon footprint calculation is currently voluntary, regulations and consumer interest are on the rise. In the future, environmental reporting will become an integral part of a company’s core business operations, similar to financial reporting, and companies will need to adapt accordingly. Implementing a calculation tool enhances a company’s ability to manage this aspect internally, effectively influencing its own operations and supply chain emissions.
Continuous updates of the digital carbon footprint calculator
Biocode’s experts review guidelines, reports, and standards, and the calculator is designed to align with them. Users do not need to be life cycle assessment experts, as the necessary expertise is built into the tool. Users only need to have a good understanding of their own operations and input data such as raw material quantities and packaging materials.
Life cycle assessment is iterative, meaning calculations are updated regularly as new information about operations becomes available or global guidelines are revised. When calculations are done through consultancy projects, the result is often a static report, such as a PDF file, which is challenging and costly to update.
The carbon footprint calculator is a dynamic and continuous operational tool. Calculations can be renewed year after year, eliminating the need to commission a new project every year. Especially when consultants change annually, the work must start from scratch. Data in the calculator is in digital format, making updates easy.
Access to real data
Biocode’s calculator is really easy to use and fast compared to a consultant spending a week to collect data, and he should be given support and help with data acquisition. Now I collect the information myself in a few days, enter it into the calculator and get the calculation right away.
Biocode’s Customer interview
Data based on databases and statistical generalisations are referred to as secondary data in life cycle assessment. Primary data, on the other hand, represents actual information about operations and their impacts. How much raw material is used, or how much energy does the factory consume?
Consultancy projects often rely heavily on secondary data, generalisations, and assumptions. While precise data can be collected in consultancy projects, it often requires the client’s involvement and takes time.
The carbon footprint calculator can utilize emission factor databases, but it also allows users to create their own factors using an primary production assessment tool. This cost-effective approach enables comprehensive data collection throughout the entire supply chain, resulting in more accurate calculations. Precise calculations, in turn, allow for effective control of supply chain emissions.
What about the costs?
Traditionally, life cycle assessments may have cost several thousand euros when conducted as consultancy projects. The problem with this model is that it doesn’t scale well when the number of assessments or annual carbon footprint calculations increases.
Consulting Project including one product-specific carbon footprint assessment (€3,000 each) and a company-level GHG emissions calculation for Scope 1 & 2 (€10,000 each).
Total: €23,000
Biocode licenses for product calculations & Scope 1 & 2 emissions calculations: €2,880/year, plus an onboarding package for learning to use the software: €2,800.
With an annual license, you can calculate unlimited product-specific carbon footprints and easily compute your company’s direct and indirect emissions. The training package is customized to meet your specific needs.
Total cost: €2,880/year + €2,800 in the first year = €5,680
➡️ Calculations done with Biocode are approximately 75% cheaper than conducting the project through consulting.
Consulting Project including lifecycle assessments for two products (€3,000 each), GHG emissions calculations for three raw material suppliers (€3,000 each), and the company’s Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions (€10,000 each).
Total: €60,000
Biocode license cost estimate: €10,200/year, plus an onboarding training package for learning to use the software: €7,800.
With an annual license, you can calculate unlimited product-specific carbon footprints and conduct company-level emissions calculations without limits. Calculations for three raw material suppliers are included in the license.
Total cost: €10,200/year + €7,800 in the first year = €18,000
➡️ This represents nearly a 70% cost savings compared to conducting the calculations via consulting.
The old saying goes that you can’t get quality cheaply. However, with Biocode’s carbon footprint calculator, you get a comprehensive system and service for a fraction of the estimated cost of a consultancy project. Additionally, your expertise in carbon footprint calculation increases, and you gain a continuous model for calculating and managing your company’s environmental impact.
Check out the frequently asked questions about our pricing. Don’t find what you are looking for? Contact us!
Farmers and producers can create Biocode account and use it for free. Everyone else can create Biocode free trial account! The trial period for food products’ calculator and company’s scope emission calculator is two weeks, and after that you can upgrade to paid plan.
The paid licence is valid for one year. Life Cycle Analysis and GHG emission accounting are typically done for the last calendar year.
If you want to cancel your paid plan, contact your sales person or send us an email: support@biocode.io.
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