Emission Scopes Used to Monitor Greenhouse Gases
As emissions of harmful substances contribute to the major problem of global warming, so the Montreal Protocol and the US Clean Air Act have sought to reduce them. Emission scopes are now used to categorize and define the chemicals. Facilities that deal with greenhouse gases can better understand and administer the discharge level of these gases.
When dangerous chemicals are either intentionally or unintentionally released into the atmosphere, three different emission scopes come into play. Several protocols are covered including reporting, accountability and tracking procedures.
The main designation, Scope 1, of the emission scopes includes greenhouse gas emissions occurring directly onsite from the source, such as when refrigeration and air conditioning systems leak refrigerant gas. Fossil fuels are also included in this category. Any company-owned asset that has the potential to discharge greenhouse gases is included in this category.
The second category of emission scopes covers indirect discharges occurring during a production process. owners of facilities can conserve energy and reduce the amount of electricity that needs to be produced.
Owners of facilities that use products manufactured elsewhere, have the ability to cut down on their usage or find environmentally friendly alternatives. In this way, certain items used in the production process which are in turn manufactured through a process which uses harmful greenhouse gases can be curtailed. These indirect emissions fall under scope three of the emission scopes.
A number of harmful greenhouse gases, such as chlorofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide, perfluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, methane, sulfur hexafluoride and nitrous oxide fall under the emission scopes. more than 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide is produced in the United States alone each year due to fugitive emissions of greenhouse gases and refrigerant.
A wide range of industries use emission scopes, including universities, hospitals and corporations that are equipped with heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems or refrigeration and air- conditioning systems. Facility managers must identify how greenhouse gases are used both directly and indirectly, taking steps to minimize usage and track potential discharge.
As government agencies now require strict tracking and reporting of greenhouse gases, so companies that specialize in software development have emerged with options to track emission scopes and make the process more user-friendly. Any company that fails to comply with government edicts faces strict censure.