Sustainability Report: measuring impact

In order to structure a sustainability strategy, companies must start with measuring their own impact. This is in fact the first fundamental step for any company that wants to try to reduce its damage on the environment: monitoring what and how many of its impacts are. In general, we can define impacts as the effects that human activities have on the natural environment, from the birth of the product to its disposal. Monitoring its impacts is crucial for several reasons. First, it provides scientific data and reliable information that can be used to make informed decisions about business practices. Furthermore, environmental impact monitoring helps assess the effectiveness of the mitigation measures adopted. By enabling an assessment of whether the efforts made are producing the desired results, monitoring can guide future strategies and resource allocation.

The Life Cycle Assessment or life cycle analysis is one of the methods to measure sustainability and is the system by which information is collected and transformed into values of damage to the environment. This method allows us to understand the state of health of our Planet. The LCA method divides the study of a product by analysing how the product is made, how it is used and how it is treated at the end of its life. For example, a bottle of water is made by the litre, but in order to make it, the raw material had to be processed and transported: the LCA measures the impact of this process.

The main objective of the Life Cycle Assessment is therefore to provide an objective assessment of the environmental impact of the different production and use stages of a product, allowing for the identification of areas where efficiency can be improved and environmental impacts reduced. LCA can also be used to support design decisions and environmental policies, as well as to assess the environmental profile of specific products or entire industrial sectors. In order to make these measurements globally consistent, standards have been created by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.

The GHG Protocol (Greenhouse Gas Protocol or GHG Protocol) is a methodology that deepens the understanding of greenhouse gas emissions developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). In this way, both direct (scope 1) and indirect (scope 2) emissions are recorded in a comprehensive and highly detailed analysis. In Italy, we mainly use the GHG Protocol because it is referred to in the main non-financial reporting standards.

What tools and methodologies do companies have at their disposal to calculate their impact? What are the differences between LCA and GHG Protocol? To answer these questions, and more, we launched the project Pillole dall'Oasi: la Digital Academy by 3Bee for Sustainability Professionals, realised in collaboration with Neutralia and Italian Tech Academy. A course consisting of 12 modules dedicated to training on topics related to business sustainability, with the involvement of 23 experts from the world of research, innovation, business and finance. An opportunity not only for training, but to join an exclusive community to receive monthly updates on news from the world of sustainability. Do you want to make your commitment to protecting the environment tangible and ensure the best training for your employees?