Territorial sustainability footprint

ArcelorMittal Research SA, Global Research and Development, Voie Romaine, BP 30320, 57283 Maizières les Metz Cedex, France

Received: 19 February 2012
Accepted: 26 September 2012

Abstract

The carbon footprint is allocated today to CO₂ emission sources, and thus to industries with smokestacks, machines with tailpipes or countries burning coal and oil; emission factors are also calculated, i.e. emissions per unit of production, of use, per capita or per unit of GDP. This is, however, not the only way to allocate emissions in a value chain and this could also be done at the source (cradle) of the carbon that will later end up being oxidized. Comparing countries with this new metrics points to fossil fuel producers as the major “cradle producers” of CO₂, thus giving a fairly different geopolitical view of the “polluting” world. Beyond issues of responsibilities, related to the polluter pays principle, this new method can help exhibit solutions for mitigating emissions that usually are not imagined or discussed, and examples thereof are given.