Quantifying greenhouse gases in business supply chains

Abstract

This thesis is written in the context of a world that is on the brink of experiencing severe climate change, and as a result must explore a variety of methods for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Whilst national governments and international organisations enact treaties and frameworks, the role of business as a driver of increasing GHG emissions is also being examined. In these circumstances the measurement of organisational footprints is of considerable interest. (Berners-Lee, et al., 2011) showed how the supply chain footprint of a small leisure business could be estimated using Environmentally Extended Input-Output (EEIO) modelling. The research presented in this thesis describes the updating of this model to use the most up to date ONS data. This model was used over several years with a UK based international telecommunications company. The implementation of the model, and several extensions to the methodology are presented along with summary results of the analysis. The case study demonstrates the suitability and flexibility of EEIO models for reporting supply chain footprints in organisations. A critique of the technique and further developments of the model are described.