Emission Scopes Categorize Greenhouse Gas Problems

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.

Scope one of the three different emission scopes covers the emission of greenhouse gases directly from the source, such as refrigeration and air conditioning systems. The category covers any company owned asset with the potential to discharge the gas and also covers fossil fuels.

The second category of emission scopes include electricity. This designation includes indirect discharges during production. Facility owners can conserve energy and reduce the amount of electricity produced.

Indirect emissions that occur as a result of facility activities that use goods or resources with potential greenhouse gas emissions fall under Scope 3 of the emission scopes. These are items, such as paper products or fuels, which are manufactured by remote vendors, but use harmful greenhouse gases in the production process. Facilities can cut down on their usage or find eco-friendly alternatives to reduce production volumes.

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.

Facilities that are equipped with HVAC ( heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems and RAC ( refrigeration and air conditioning) systems, including universities, hospitals and corporations use emission scopes. It is required that facility managers identify how greenhouse gases are used in their systems, both indirectly and directly. The managers must ensure that they minimize usage and track any 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.

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