Industrial Economics, Incorporated

Footprinting: Energy/Carbon, Water, Waste

As an initial step to developing a comprehensive sustainability strategy, organizations are seeking to create comprehensive inventories of their GHG emissions and water and waste footprints to help better understand the key drivers of environmental impact; inform a strategy to address these impacts; and provide a baseline from which to measure performance against and ultimately communicate environmental results and improvements to stakeholders.

IEc works closely with clients to determine a comprehensive GHG emission and water and waste scope, gather data from disparate systems and platforms (e.g., SAP, Engie), and estimate missing data with rigorous statistical analysis to develop GHG, water, and waste footprint reductions.

IEc uses a method consistent with standard measurement and reporting protocols, including the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). IEc’s footprint approach also meets the criteria of multiple sustainability reporting platforms, such as the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). IEc is software neutral and has advised clients on appropriate software options to collect data and streamline future footprinting efforts.

Our services include:

  • Scoping footprinting analyses for clients based on their goals and resources
  • Analyzing scope 1 emissions, including emissions from facilities and company-operated fleets
  • Analyzing scope 2 emissions using both location-based and market-based accounting methods
  • Analyzing scope 3 emissions from supplier operations, employee commuting and travel, waste management, cloud commuting, and several other scope 3 categories
  • Working with companies with franchised and large retail operations to gather and estimate energy data
  • Conducting life-cycle analyses of products and materials as inputs to carbon footprinting
  • Developing waste footprints
  • Developing water footprints

Recent work:

  • IEc conducted a Scope 1, 2, and 3 assessment for Upwork, and assisted them in achieving carbon neutrality cost-effectively. Calendar time from the beginning of the assessment to achieving carbon neutrality was four months.