Carbon Footprint

Carbon Footprint: Measure, Act, Transform Sustainably – “6 Min. to Understand” with Pierre Léonard. Midoricast: Podcast #217

Carbon Footprint: What if measuring your carbon footprint was as essential as a health check-up?

This is exactly what the carbon footprint assessment offers—provided you understand what it covers.

In this episode of “6 Minutes to Understand“, Pierre Léonard guides us step by step through the world of carbon footprinting. He clearly breaks down the 3 scopes, the methodology, and above all, the strategic value for your company. Fewer emissions, more innovation, better positioning in light of European requirements: a tool that combines environmental efficiency and economic performance.

A must-listen to avoid missing out on a key driver of the transition.

Have you implemented a carbon footprint assessment, or do you still have questions? Tell us in the comments or leave a voice message—we’ll be happy to reply.

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For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or experiencing hearing difficulties, we provide a full transcript at the end of the article.
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• The Circular Economy Fresco
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Our podcasts are accessible to everyone!

In addition to voicemail, each episode is sequenced and accompanied by a full transcript, allowing deaf and hard-of-hearing people to access it. And with a Google Translate plugin in Chrome, the episode becomes available in all languages! We also offer a video format and transcriptions as subtitles.

Why this segment?

We support companies that implement real and measurable ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) approaches. Pierre trains and supports them through this transition. Our approaches are different but complementary: we encourage, he supports.

This choice also presents a real challenge: where to draw the line?

Some companies mentioned in this segment are not aligned with our current criteria, and we would refuse to collaborate with them as long as they do not initiate concrete change. But that’s precisely where Pierre comes in: his role is to initiate this transformation.

This podcast does not seek to judge, but to inspire. The goal? To encourage rather than discourage, to support rather than exclude.

Let’s commit together to a circular, sustainable, and inclusive economy. Listening, reflection, action… in 6 minutes.

Listen to this podcast on carbon footprint via our YouTube channel (subscribe: thank you!):

French: The full transcript of this podcast is available as video subtitles in five languages: French, Dutch, German, English, and Spanish.
Dutch: De volledige transcriptie van deze podcast is beschikbaar als ondertiteling van de video in vijf talen: Frans, Nederlands, Duits, Engels en Spaans.
German: Die vollständige Transkription dieses Podcasts ist als Untertitel des Videos in fünf Sprachen verfügbar: Französisch, Niederländisch, Deutsch, Englisch und Spanisch.
English: The full transcript of this podcast is available as video subtitles in five languages: French, Dutch, German, English, and Spanish.
Spanish: La transcripción completa de este pódcast está disponible como subtítulos del vídeo en cinco idiomas: francés, neerlandés, alemán, inglés y español.

Podcast sequencing on carbon footprint:

• [00:00:34] Episode introduction
• [00:00:47] Definition of carbon footprint
• [00:01:09] Comparison with a medical check-up
• [00:01:30] Explanation of the 3 scopes
• [00:01:58] Scope 1: direct emissions
• [00:02:06] Scope 2: indirect energy
• [00:02:20] Scope 3: value chain
• [00:02:47] Purpose of the carbon footprint
• [00:02:56] Why conduct a carbon footprint
• [00:03:51] How to conduct a carbon footprint in practice
• [00:05:13] Key figures and legal obligations
• [00:06:07] Conclusion and strategic benefits
• [00:06:37] Episode closing

Transcript of the podcast on carbon footprint:

Michel: [00:00:00] This podcast project is an initiative created and presented by the non-profit “The Podcast Factory Org”, with the sponsorship of “transforma bxl – Innovation Playground”. Since January 2025, and for five years, we are also sponsored by “Plugin Company”, our preferred charging station and card operator. “The Podcast Factory Org” is very proud to be a member of “KAYA – Coalition of Ecopreneurs” and to collaborate with the “Love Health Center”. You can find all episodes of all our podcasts on the “What’s Your Story dot be” website.

Jingle Intro: [00:00:33] Searching for radio frequency (old radio mode: static), a channel is picked up and the sound stabilizes: “You are listening to The Podcast Factory Org.”

Michel: [00:00:34] Welcome to a new episode of Midoricast, your podcast on positive environmental initiatives. Midori means Green in Japanese, Cast for Broadcast. Segment: “6 Minutes to Understand” with my friend Pierre Léonard.

Pierre Léonard: [00:00:47] Hello Michel, hello everyone! Welcome to “6 Minutes to Understand”, the segment that tells you everything about sustainable development. I’m Pierre Léonard, facilitator in sustainable development, and today we’re going to talk about a tool that is essential for companies wishing to monitor and reduce their environmental impact, namely the carbon footprint.

Pierre Léonard: [00:01:09] So, what is a carbon footprint? Let’s use a comparison: the carbon footprint is a bit like a medical check-up for your company. But instead of measuring your blood pressure, you’ll be measuring your greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a precise diagnostic tool that quantifies all the emissions generated by your organization over a given period, usually a year.

Pierre Léonard: [00:01:30] You may remember that in a previous episode, I used the example of a furniture manufacturing company for the episode on life cycle analysis. Let’s use this company again—one day I’ll have to give it a name. Its carbon footprint will take into account three dimensions of its emissions. These are called the three scopes, according to EU terminology. What are these three scopes? They are three different areas that allow you to see where and how much CO2 is emitted.

Pierre Léonard: [00:01:58] Scope 1 corresponds to the company’s direct emissions, for example, energy consumed by its machines or heating its premises.

Pierre Léonard: [00:02:06] Scope 2 includes indirect emissions related to energy consumption, such as purchased and consumed electricity, as well as purchased and consumed heat, steam, or cooling for activities.

Pierre Léonard: [00:02:20] And finally, Scope 3 includes all other indirect CO2 emissions related to the company’s value chain. For example, employee travel between home and the factory or office, manufacturing of raw materials the company buys, transport, distribution, etc. Generally, this is the largest scope, but also the most difficult to quantify.

Pierre Léonard: [00:02:47] So the goal of the carbon footprint is to get an overview of your climate impact and identify areas where you can act to reduce it.

Pierre Léonard: [00:02:56] Why do a carbon footprint? Why would you bother with this for your company? Again, as so often, it comes down to the same factors. A carbon footprint will ultimately help you reduce your costs, especially by having to buy fewer of those famous carbon credits we talked about last time. You’ll also be able to optimize your energy and resource consumption, which means substantial savings. It gives you a competitive advantage, as we’ve already seen, and regulatory compliance, which itself gives you an edge in certain markets, especially public contracts. Finally, the process helps stimulate innovation in your processes. Simply because, by finding a way to produce any object with less material or more efficiently, you’ll save the resources needed for its manufacture.

Pierre Léonard: [00:03:51] So, how do you conduct a carbon footprint in practice? You’ll start by defining the scope of this assessment. Which activities of your company will you include in the analysis? As a side note, there are software programs you can use for this, but I always recommend calling in an expert. I don’t do carbon footprints myself, but I know plenty of people who do it very well, and they tell me: you need someone, like a teacher reviewing a student’s paper, to check the numbers, because the expertise and knowledge aren’t always there. So, it’s always useful to call in an expert. You’ll collect data, gather all the necessary information on your energy consumption and those famous scopes 1, 2, and 3. This will allow you to calculate emissions using standardized factors. So, we know how much, in terms of CO2, it costs to buy a ream of paper, how much it costs to travel by train or plane to a given place, etc. This will allow you to calculate your data in a standardized way, and then you’ll be able to analyze your results, see your main sources of emissions, and from there, define possible actions to take, which you can set out in an action plan and a roadmap with objectives and concrete measures.

Pierre Léonard: [00:05:13] I’d like to finish by giving you a few figures that show the importance of the carbon footprint. A McKinsey study showed that companies actively managing their CO2 emissions are 18% more profitable than their competitors. And the ADEME, the French Agency for Ecological Transition, estimates that a carbon footprint approach can lead to emission reductions of 15 to 20% in the first year. So, again, we’re talking about an approach that combines sustainability and profitability. Finally, let’s not forget that under the famous CSRD—even if it’s been a bit undermined lately, as we’re recording this episode on March 1st—this European directive on non-financial reporting, listed companies are legally required to carry out a carbon footprint every four years, and that hasn’t changed, it still applies.

Pierre Léonard: [00:06:07] So, in conclusion, the carbon footprint isn’t just an exercise in compliance or communication—it’s a real strategic tool that can help you cut costs, innovate, and position yourself as a responsible leader in your sector. I hope you’re ready to take your carbon temperature, and remember, in the race for sustainability, those who start early win. Thank you for joining me once again for these “6 Minutes to Understand” the carbon footprint. In the next episode, we’ll talk about the circular economy. See you in two weeks.

Michel: [00:06:37] Thank you, Pierre, see you soon.

Jingle Outro: [00:06:41] Searching for radio frequency (old radio mode: static), a channel is picked up and the sound stabilizes: “You are listening to The Podcast Factory Org.”

Michel: [00:06:43] This podcast project is an initiative created and presented by the non-profit “The Podcast Factory Org”, with the sponsorship of “transforma bxl – Innovation Playground”. Since January 2025, and for five years, we are also sponsored by “Plugin Company”, our preferred charging station and card operator. “The Podcast Factory Org” is very proud to be a member of “KAYA – Coalition of Ecopreneurs” and to collaborate with the “Love Health Center”. You can find all episodes of all our podcasts on the “What’s Your Story dot be” website.

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