Carbon Footprint.
Carbon Footprint.
In order to assess the impact of changes towards carbon neutrality, it is first essential to measure the carbon footprint before the action plan is implemented. Moreover, it is important that the model used for measuring carbon is consistent; switching models would make the measurement of success (or otherwise) very difficult. There are many organisations offering this service at a fee, but the CCAG recommends the use of Impact – the community carbon calculator developed by the Centre for Sustainable Energy working with the University of Exeter.
Impact is an estimator of a community’s carbon footprint that works for parishes wards, district councils and unitary authorities. It draws on more than 30 datasets to estimate the total amount of greenhouse gases produced directly and indirectly as a result of everyday human activities in the given locality - heating homes, using electricity, transport, producing and distributing food, disposing of waste, etc. It presents this information in a visually engaging way that is easy to interpret and easy to share.
Impact has been designed to help the community to access, analyse and act on its community’s carbon footprint and to give a better idea of where to target the CCAG’s efforts for the greatest impact in tackling the climate emergency. It produces two outputs; one is based on per household consumption and the other is a territorial output, based on the type of infrastructure, the rurality and the local environment.
The tool is found at impact-tool.org.uk, and works at the parish level for any parish in England. It also allows comparisons with national averages, council areas or other parishes. The output from Impact will be regularly reported on the SHPC website, with special emphasis on change as a result of CCAG action.