Welcome to the tutorial page of the ORIS CO2-calculator! In this page, discover a quick presentation of the tool, additional information regarding the inputs to fill in, and general information about Life Cycle Assessment.
For some paragraphs, you will find a video. In case you prefer to read instead to listen, the transcript is available below each video.
Introduction to the CO2-calculator
This CO2-calculator will enable you to calculate the Global Warming Potential impact of your aggregates products. Why is it important? Because the measurement is the first step before taking actions to reduce the footprint, and also because the EU regulation will change in the following years, making the declaration of the CO2-impact mandatory to sell a product.
The ORIS CO2-calculator is a tool easy to use and scientifically robust. Indeed, the methodology has been developed with CIRAIG, the most advanced LCA research center.
The calculator has an innovative feature, which is the calculation of the CO2-impact by production area of your processing plant, giving less impact to coarse aggregates which are less processed for example.
The calculator is a form of 4 sections to complete. The 1st section relates to the general information and the scope of your study. The 3 next sections refer to the data collection.
At the end, you will receive a certificate within 1 week with the CO2-footprint of your products. The results are in compliance with EN 15804 and ISO 14040 / 14044, and are valid for 1 year. You will also receive a background calculation report, detailing the methodology and values used to perform the calculations.
Introduction to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
What is LCA?
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method for evaluating the environmental footprint of a product or service. It is a global approach that takes into account all the stages in the product's life cycle, such as
- Extraction of raw materials
- Manufacture of the product
- Transport to the construction site
- Use
- End of life
The LCA standard divides the life cycle into 4 stages:
- Module A, which covers the stages of production and transport to the construction site
- Module B, which represents the use of the product
- Module C, which covers the end-of-life of the product, including recycling
- And module D, which is outside the system under study, but which represents the potential benefits and costs if the product is reused or recycled.
What is the difference between a carbon footprint and an environmental footprint?
The LCA standard for construction products defines 36 environmental impacts, one of which is the global warming potential (GWP), expressed in kg of CO2 equivalent. This is commonly known as the carbon footprint.
Why carry out an LCA?
The first step in tackling today's climate challenges is to measure a product's environmental footprint, or at least its carbon footprint. This in-depth analysis enables us to target the factors that emit carbon, so that we can take corrective action and reduce the product's carbon footprint.