The number of companies entered in the Carbon Footprint Register will grow this year, given the obligation established, depending on the size and turnover of each company, as a result of Law 7/2021.
Last July, the “Conference on the Carbon Footprint of Roads” took place at the Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos in Madrid, under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda and promoted by the Directorate-General for Roads (DGC). With the commitment to decarbonisation as its leitmotiv, it addressed the environmental impact of a public asset such as roads.
Juan Pedro Fernández Palomino, Director-General for Roads, spoke about the need to analyse the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are causing climate change. He talked about the registration process, stressing that it is not “just about registering” these emissions, but about “what is going to be done to mitigate that footprint” afterwards.
The Carbon Footprint Register, which can be accessed here, on the website of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, is voluntary. Companies calculating, reducing and offsetting the emissions generated by their activity is a path that, sooner or later, they will all have to take. Not only companies: public administrations and organisations are included.
Until now this register had been voluntary and, in return, certain advantages were obtained. Law 7/2021 of 20 May on Climate Change and Energy Transition, however, now requires companies to reduce their CO2 footprint from this year, 2023; specifically those with more than 50 workers or an annual turnover of more than 10 million euros. It is also mandatory for companies operating partly or wholly in the Balearic Islands.
What types of emissions are there?
All this stems from the European Climate Law, which has set the European Union's climate target of reducing its CO2 emissions by at least 55% by 2030. The aim is to be “climate neutral” by 2050. The carbon footprint certification for the footprint each company leaves (which can be calculated, offset or reduced) is issued by certification bodies designated by the Ministry of Industry and Energy.
The calculation is made by multiplying the energy consumption figure for each activity by its corresponding emission factor. GHG emissions can thus be direct (fuel consumption in vehicles, in assistance tow trucks, in our case), indirect (purchases) or related to other activities (subcontractors, business travel…).
After the calculation, a plan is drawn up to offset this carbon footprint that can contribute to the company's own energy consumption. In this respect, gestures as small as using efficient lighting or promoting teleworking can have a positive inverse impact.