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METHODOLOGY FOR THE CALCULATION OF THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF EVENTS

1. Conditions for applicability

An event is defined as "Planned gathering with respect to time and a place where an experience is created and/or a message is communicated" (ISO 20121-2012).

For the process of quantifying GHG emissions of an event, this document will provide guidance on:

Boundary identification and scope of calculation
Assumptions / Simplification
Algorithm and calculations of GHG from each source
Source from which emission factors were obtained

The Aarksee Carbon Footprint Calculator can be used to calculate the carbon footprint of events/exhibitions provided the boundary conditions are well defined along with the availability (whole/partial data) of the activities.

2. GHG emissions covered by calculator

The emissions being considered in our calculator are for three categories namely:

Organizer
Exhibitors
Individuals

Under each category of people involved in an event, the related emission caused is calculated with the general mathematical equation:

Carbon footprint = Activity data * Emission factor

Where the activity and emission factor vary according to the categories considered.

3. Calculations

III.1 Categories

3.1.1 Organizer

The footprint to be calculated for the organizer are as follows:

a. Electricity

Footprint = Electricity consumed in KWh * Emission factor

Emission factor = 0.568 (kgs CO2 /KWh)

Source: The Grid Emission factor 2021 developed by The Designated National Authority (DNA)

b. Food

Part 1

Footprint = Number of people who has consumed food * Emission per serving of type of food * Number of days of event

Assumptions:

Each individual consumes an average of one serving of food each day - Lunch
Emission for Vegetarian food: 0.7 kg CO2 equivalent per serving
Emission for Non-Vegetarian food: 4.8 kg CO2 equivalent per serving

Source: Mesquita, C. and Carvalho, M. (2023). The carbon footprint of common vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals in Portugal: an estimate, comparison, and analysis. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.

Part 2

(Applicable if food not prepared inside the premise) – Travel emission caused for food transport

Food transport emission = Distance * Emission factor

Emission factor for truck (HGV Diesel Rigid vehicles average) = 0.69215 kg CO2 eq per km

Source: DEFRA 2022

c. Waste

Waste transport emission = Distance * Emission factor

Emission factor for truck (HGV Diesel Rigid vehicles average) = 0.69215 kg CO2 eq per km

Source: DEFRA 2022

Where emissions caused for the transport of three different waste categories like Landfill, Recyclable, and Organic waste are calculated.

d. Travel

Travel emissions are calculated for employees of the organizer company.

Assumptions:

All the employees are using the same mode of transport to travel

Footprint = Travel emission per employee * Number of employees

Footprint = Distance (km) * Emission factor

Part 1: Car

Average emission factor for passenger car 0.170 kg CO2 eq /km (For both Petrol & Diesel)

Source: DEFRA 2022

Distance (km) traveled calculated by taking direct input data given by the participant.

Part 2: Train

Emission factor = 0.0044 kg CO2 equivalent per km/passenger

Source: DEFRA 2022

Distance (km) traveled calculated by taking direct input data given by the participant.

Part 3: Airplane

International flight emission factor = 0.18362 kg CO2 eq /km/passenger

Whether the trip is One way trip or round trip is considered since round trip doubles the final footprint calculated value.

Source: DEFRA 2022

Distance (km) traveled calculated by taking boarding/departure station latitude & longitude data given by the participant. It helps in calculating the distance between two points in latitude and longitude taking into account height difference by using Haversine method in Java.

e. Accommodation

Total kg CO2 equivalent per room per night = 106.4 (Saudi Arabia)

Source: Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking (CHSB) Index 2023

Assumptions:

The conversion factors are provided on a 'room per night' basis and should be applied to each room that is occupied during the stay.
A "room per night" is on a per room basis and does not differentiate for the number of travelers staying in the room.
The conversion factors provided are for an average class of hotel and can be applied to a stay at any type of hotel.

3.1.2 Exhibitor

a. Travel

b. Accommodation

c. Promotional materials

Assumptions:

1 brochure taken as A4 size 4 pages folded, weighing 20 grams
Weight of brochures in kg = No of brochures * 20g = Output/1000 (kg)
Emission (Cradle to gate GHG emissions) = 1253 kg CO2 equivalent / ton of paper = 1.253 kg CO2 equivalent / kg of paper
Footprint = 1.253 kg CO2 equivalent * Total weight of brochures
To include extra emissions when the number of pages in a brochure is more than 4, a question is asked regarding the same. If the participant answers yes, then an input box for the number of pages will be provided below. The input value given for the number of pages is divided by 4, and the output value is given as X. To obtain the final emission value, the above-calculated value is multiplied by the value of X.

Source: Pihkola, H., Nors, M., Marjukka Kujanpää, Helin, T., Merja Kariniemi, Tiina Pajula, Dahlbo, H. and Koskela, S. (2010). Carbon footprint and environmental impacts of print products from cradle to grave: Results from the LEADER project (Part 1).

3.1.3 Individuals

It includes all the people who participated in the event other than the organizer and exhibitors like VIPS, Delegates, etc.

a. Travel

b. Accommodation

The calculation part of Travel and Accommodation for Exhibitors and Individuals is the same as mentioned above in the category of Organizer.

Data Sources:

UK DEFRA Greenhouse Gas Conversion factors 2022

The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) provides Greenhouse Gas Conversion factors for use by UK and international organizations to report on greenhouse gas emissions. The conversion factors are updated annually.

Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking Index (CHSB)

The Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking Index (CHSB) is an industry-led global data initiative that was started in 2013. It enables any hotel to calculate its carbon footprint and benchmark its energy, water, and carbon emissions at a low cost. The data for this initiative is drawn from a dataset of more than 20,000 hotels around the world.

Calculation Algorithm for Offset Solution

The basic calculation used is mentioned below:

An average offset of 7.3 kgs of CO2 per tree per year is the value obtained by planting trees over an average time period of 15 years.

Source: Method for Calculating Carbon Sequestration by Trees in Urban and Suburban Setting (U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. (April 1998)

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