EVENT GHG CALCULATOR

SIDE-BY-SIDE REVIEW

We know we can’t manage without measuring, and the past few years have seen a flourish of resources to help events measure their GHGs.

I thought it was time for a round-up of GHG calculators, tools and services, to check in on where the tools are aligned, and highlight the different approaches that might suit your type of event.

With all the new tools being built, we’re also seeing an equal number of interpretations and approaches to measurement, which makes things a bit confusing.

I reviewed nearly forty GHG tools, calculators and apps being marketed for events. After a lot of meetings and trials I whittled this down to fifteen calculators or services created specifically for events, and another swathe of attendee, sector or topic specific calculators.

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The TLDR if you're short on time...

Five comprehensive calculators were very close to doing everything we need, with categorisation and flexibility. (Trace, Climeet, Green Events Tool, Green Producers Club, ImpactALL)
Three basic calculators go into good detail but without the flexibility of the comprehensive tools (Julie's Bicycle CC tools, MyClimate, atmosfair)
Most options are designed to be international but inevitably have a skew towards their location of development.
None of the tools currently include 'Scope 4' avoided emissions, which is something that should definitely be on the horizon.
None of the tools have data quality identification or reporting built-in, which would be something to include in future developments.
Two sector specific tools available to participating organisations (MONITOR for European music festivals and UEFA for European football clubs).
Six sustainable event expert GHG measurement support services are recommended (Event Decision, Racing to Zero, GreenShoot Pacific (me!), Three Squares Inc, SEMS, Hope Solutions, Clear Current Consulting).
Six attendee-impact focussed calculators, apps, APIs or other tools are available (LowR, Purpose Net Zero, you.smart.thing, Sustainable Travel, Measurevent, Thrust Carbon).

Get the side-by-side details

What does ideal GHG accounting for events look like?

Regardless of using a tool, a GHG accounting service, or fussing together your own set of spreadsheets - this is what I want to see:

BECAUSE THE EVENT EXISTS

I want to measure the entirety of GHGs generated because the event exists, regardless of who ‘owns’ the impacts. However >>>

WHAT’S MY SHARE?

I also want to be able to separate the GHGs owned by the event compared with other participants and GHGs they are responsible for.

INCLUDES EVERYONE

I want the tool to include staff, crew and other production participants (including sponsor’s activations or hospitality programmes), as well as attendees. And to allow separation in analysis and reporting between these groups.

THE ON RAMP & THE SHOW

I want to be able to include the pre-production phase, business travel, office impacts, working from home. I also want to distinguish between organisation or year-round company impacts and event-specific impacts for the event organiser.

SCOPE 1, 2, 3 vs MAKES SENSE

Most tools follow measurement that makes operational sense. I like that. But I also want a reporting frame for Scope 1, 2 & 3. I want to have data quality and source of data fields. I also want tools to start integrating Scope 4 avoided emissions.

ALL THE ADDED EXTRAS

I want WTT (well to tank impacts of fuel production) included, and for it to be correctly categorised. I want consistency in the use of RFI across all calculators and I want consistency in uplift factors or assumptions used across the tools.

And this is what we nee to be measuring:

Energy

Electricity/HVAC

District Heating/Cooling

Fugitive Emissions/Refrigerants

Fuel in Generators

Gas (bottled and mains)

Onsite Renewable Energy

Working from home

Plant

Plant, Machinery, MHE fuel

Vehicles used onsite

Transport

Freight

Local deliveries

Infrastructure/contractor transport

Waste and water hauling

Water

Water from municipal aqueduct

Water delivered

Grey water

Wastewater/Sewage

Waste

Residual waste

Recyclable waste

Compostable waste

By material type

By processing type

So what's the verdict?

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