There is an ever-increasing need for organizations to be conscious of the effects of their operations on the environment, and to manage and report on emissions data.
Until recently, the United States was the second largest producer of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and ranked among the worst countries when looking at carbon emissions per person. After the sharp increase in 2018, energy-related emissions dropped in 2020 due to travel restrictions and other measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. [Source: US Energy Information Administration]
Emissions Reporting with IsoMetrix
In the early 1990s, to create a national picture of the pollutants being emitted into the atmosphere, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began the National Emissions Inventory. At first, to populate the database, they relied on industries reporting their emissions directly to the agency. As time progressed, the EPA released an online portal to submit this data which evolved into the electronic Greenhouse Gas Reporting Tool (e-GGRT).
There is a standard form through which companies submit data. However, it contains a large amount of metadata for the emissions. Companies hire consulting firms to help prepare these reports each spring. IsoMetrix provides a solution to create an e-GGRT report in a shorter period.
Michael Dae, Head of Sustainability and Compliance Solutions at IsoMetrix Americas, explains what IsoMetrix has to offer in this regard, “The IsoMetrix solution focuses on the reporting requirements for 40CFR 98.C without excessive manual entry and repetition of metadata throughout the reporting process. By using IsoMetrix’s modules, we have been able to reduce repetition and make it easier on industry to report their emissions and track them in our dashboards. The IsoMetrix solution can also notify required persons of any exceedance of Clean Air Act emissions for criteria air pollutants.”
The requirements for e-GGRT reporting have been standardized in recent years and no company currently provides an opportunity to submit the whole report through an Emissions Management Information System (EMIS). IsoMetrix is able to create a complete report with all the necessary data in a concise format for customers to better track their emissions and consolidate data for reporting to the EPA.
Benefits of using the IsoMetrix solution
Apart from being able to track emissions and provide a full report to the EPA, our customers have access to:
- A one-stop-shop for all emission information and reporting tools
- Real-time analytics that can be displayed in the dashboards with exceedance reporting
- The ability to view emissions data for various business units and/or processes within the company
- Integration of emissions data with compliance requirements and sustainability reporting
- Options to set notifications/alerts when data indicates non-compliance
Conclusion
Global GHG emissions and associated climate change have been increasing at accelerating rates in recent years. The largest source of these emissions from human activities in the United States is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat generation and transportation. According to a BloombergNEF study, the coronavirus pandemic triggered a sharp drop in air travel and emissions to the lowest level in at least three decades. With this noticeable decrease, it is still too early to tell if the slowing will continue in the long-term, although it has made a pleasant improvement to our general quality of life from an air quality perspective. Emissions reporting is a challenge without the right software, but the IsoMetrix solution simplifies this complex task.
Find out how IsoMetrix can help you report on your carbon emissions
