Climate and decarbonization : the keys to building a low-carbon world

The European Union and France have signed up to the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the increase in global average temperature to less than 2°C by 2100 compared to pre-industrial levels. This treaty, signed at the United Nations COP 21 conference in December 2015, recommends doing everything possible to ensure that this increase does not exceed 1.5°C, which would already cause numerous disruptions and extreme weather events. This goal requires a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, knowing that these efforts will not pay off immediately: due to climate inertia, even with zero emissions, the planet will continue to warm. To take the most decisive action possible within its territory, the European Union has set a target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, with intermediate steps in 2030 (55% reduction in GHG emissions compared to 1990) and 2040 (90% reduction). 
 

Carbon neutral (Net Zero) refers to a product, service, or process that uses solutions to sequester atmospheric carbon in quantities equal to those emitted throughout its life cycle, from manufacture to end use or final implementation. Defined in this way, carbon neutrality refers to two fundamental concepts: the concept of life cycle and the concept of carbon accounting.
 

A greenhouse gas emissions assessment (BEGES, also known as a carbon footprint®, named after the first calculation tool released by ADEME) is an evaluation of the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere over a year by an organization's activities. The results are expressed in tons of CO2 equivalent (CO2 being the main GHG, alongside CH4, N2O, SF6, HFCs, and PFCs).
 

The calculation of greenhouse gas emissions is based on a standardized methodology. The NF EN ISO 14064-1 standard details the different scopes to be taken into account for a given activity: direct emissions (scope 1), associated emissions (scope 2), and indirect emissions (scope 3).