Let's talk about companies and a topic that affects them very closely in the path towards sustainability: the carbon footprint.
What is it?
The carbon footprint estimates the emissions into the atmosphere and the ecosystem of greenhouse gases caused by a product, a service, an organization, an event or an individual, determining their environmental impacts on global warming. What is calculated is the quantity (usually in tons) of CO2 along the cycle of the reference activity.
This very important parameter is very useful to public administrations to estimate and quantify the impact on the planet in terms of climate change of a company helping to monitor its environmental and energy efficiency. Its reduction is therefore essential to put an end to the excessive exploitation of the earth's resources. The calculation of carbon emissions into the atmosphere is not done only on the final product, but also taking into account all the phases of the production chain: from the extraction of raw materials to the disposal of the product itself. The companies that are committed to reducing the carbon footprint also define a system aimed at identifying all those activities and interventions for its reduction or even for its neutralization. Unfortunately, adopting many of these measures is neither simple nor cheap to obtain and, one solution, is to offset these emissions with actions that are more economically efficient or spendable in terms of image - planting trees and producing renewable energy are examples of this, tools to enhance one's activities and promote policies of social and environmental responsibility. Furthermore, the carbon footprint label is perceived by the final consumer as an indicator of quality and sustainability.
To evaluate and measure the carbon footprint of an organization there is both the obligation to consider the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the organization itself, but also those indirectly generated by the production of electrical and thermal energy used. Those not connected to electrical and thermal consumption can be voluntarily accounted for.
Made Green in Italy
In Italy, the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of Land and Sea includes among its priority actions the promotion of voluntary initiatives for the accounting of CO2 emissions, the definition of strategies for better energy use, and the introduction of low-CO2 technologies. In 2011, an intense program for the evaluation of carbon and water footprint was launched, while in 2018 the Regulation for the implementation of a voluntary national scheme for the evaluation and communication of the environmental footprint of products came into force: Made Green in Italy . This scheme includes, among the main activities, the promotion of sustainable production and consumption models, the continuous improvement of the environmental performance of products, the promotion of informed and conscious choices by citizens, and the definition of the most effective ways to evaluate and communicate the impact that products have on the environment.
OWN OFF WITH NATURE is the 100% sustainable and certified fashion brand that is committed to addressing this issue by using organic cotton for its garments, whose cultivation and production of the yarn lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions, reducing the carbon footprint.