To measure a company’s environmental impact, we need to calculate its carbon footprint, i.e., the total CO₂ emissions produced by the various company processes. This gives us more awareness of the atmospheric pollution generated by the company so that we can define appropriate decarbonisation strategies.

In this guide, we’ll show you some ways to reduce your carbon footprint and increase the sustainability of your company. We will also look at the advantages of innovative technologies like Augmented Reality to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially in complex contexts like the industrial sector.

The importance of carbon management in companies

These days, all companies must have a carbon management plan, an efficient system to manage emissions of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases produced by the company. The implementation of the Kyoto Protocol in 2005 led to the introduction of legislation on emissions by companies in many countries around the world.

The first step is to find out what the company’s carbon footprint is, using globally recognised standards. This will give you a transparent calculation of CO₂ equivalent emissions, meaning the amount of greenhouse gas emissions reported in carbon dioxide equivalents.

The method generally used is the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG) Scope classification, which identifies a company’s direct and indirect emissions based on 3 types:

• Scope 1 are direct emissions produced by the company, which can be fully controlled;
• Scope 2 are the indirect emissions linked to the energy used by the company;
• Scope 3 are all the other indirect emissions produced along the company’s value chain.

Once you have established this, you can define a carbon management plan. For example, you can compensate CO₂ emissions with carbon credits, by financing global sustainability projects like reforestation initiatives. You can also take action to reduce your company’s CO₂ emissions.

This allows you to act on two aspects of the carbon footprint: minimising your CO₂ emissions as much as possible and neutralising greenhouse gas emissions that cannot be prevented, using CO₂ compensation tools like carbon credits.

5 ways to reduce your carbon footprint

Every company must plan a strategy to reduce its carbon footprint, based on the specific characteristics of its business and the type of activities it carries out. However, there are 5 practical ways to reduce CO₂ emissions that apply to all companies.

1. Use clean energy produced by renewable sources to reduce your dependency on fossil fuels, both by purchasing green energy from specialist suppliers and by producing clean energy yourself, for example by installing a photovoltaic system or a mini wind farm.
2. Invest in energy efficiency, reducing electrical energy and thermal energy waste, improving the thermal insulation of company buildings, replacing machines with less energy-intensive models, and installing low-consumption heating, cooling, and hot water production systems.
3. Adopt energy-saving practices within your company to reduce your energy requirements, for example by installing low-consumption light sources and advising employees of good habits that lead to more reasonable and responsible energy use.
4. Plan strategies based on the principles of the circular economy, favouring the reuse of resources and reducing the waste produced by company processes, for example by adopting an eco-design approach for the development of new products with a low environmental impact, using sustainable packaging and recycled and recyclable raw materials.
5. Implement emission control systems along the whole supply chain, to ensure that your partners and suppliers also meet your sustainability standards and are involved in reducing CO₂ emissions.

How to reduce your carbon footprint with AR technology

Some innovative technologies can help companies to reduce their carbon footprint. Augmented Reality is one such technology, which allows digital information to be superimposed on a real situation, using a mix of software and hardware solutions with applications that range from remote support to remote training for employees.

Kiber 3 is a state-of-the-art technology ideal for industrial contexts. It is a flexible AR/XR solution to support the workforce in daily industrial operations, especially activities that require instant expertise and remote collaboration.

Kiber 3 is an all-in-one wearable AR remote communication solution, with fully integrated hardware and software. It allows remote users to experience the situation as if they were really there and offer continuous support without distracting attention from the job at hand.

Applications of Kiber 3 range from the Oil & Gas sector to the manufacturing industry, and from the renewable energy sector to the maritime industry. Kiber 3 improves field operations, efficiency, and safety, with added benefits in terms of cost reduction, remote support, and virtual training.

In fact, using the Kiber 3 AR/XR solutions, you can reduce your carbon footprint quickly and efficiently. You can reduce technicians’ and engineers’ travel because systems can be tested and maintained by sending just one member of the workforce out into the field, equipped with wearable devices like the Kiber K3S visor.

Plus, with Kiber’s AR technology, you can hold top-level remote training, helping to reduce employee travel and lower the CO₂ emissions generated on their journeys. You can also carry out remote visual inspections more easily, accurately, and safely to ensure that systems are more efficient, control energy consumption better, and reduce faults that require the use of spare parts.