Integrated and validated CO2 management in the utilization of resources
Customer: SITA Germany (since 2016 SUEZ)
Category: Recycling
Date: April 2016
SITA Deutschland GmbH is the fourth largest private disposal company in Germany. The enterprise is a 100% subsidiary company of SUEZ Environnement, a company listed on the stock exchange in Paris. The waste industry is increasingly turning into a market which is determined by European legislation. The goal of this legislation is to improve and to harmonize the member states’ performances in terms of climate protection. By making use of its cross-border cooperations, SITA can bring together waste in an optimal way, and process it in sustainable treatment ways. Since 2008, SITA Netherlands, SITA Germany, SITA Belgium and SITA Luxemburg constitute the cross-border company network “SITA Northern Europe Waste Services” (SITA NEWS). In 2016 SITA became part of Suez.
SITA-NEWS companies perform services in more than 200 locations, for more than 200.000 companies and for more than 14 Mio inhabitants. In 2010, SITA-NEWS’ sales volume amounted to about 1.5bn Euro. In Germany, the company employs more than 3.000 employees in more than 80 locations.
„Waste disposal means utilization of resources to us, with the goal to process the materials in a recycling process and to close the loop. Sustainability is not only a core part of our services but also an integral part of our company vision.
A sustainable economic activity can only be achieved, however, when CO2 emissions are determined in a transparent and validated way. Then, potential emission savings can be recognized, planned and implemented.
DFGE’s TopDown approach was here the best possible way for us to determine our Scope 2 and 3 emissions, and to treat the sustainability topic in an integral way.“
Solution
Environmental management as demanded by the EU
The integral approach of DFGE, founded as a scientific institute and having more than 15 years of experience in the field of eco-balances, exactly met the needs of SITA Deutschland. DFGE calculates the company-wide carbon footprint according to EU recommendations, and captures not only CO2 emissions but CO2 equivalents over the whole life cycle of examined objects.
During waste disposal and resource utilization of companies, cities, municipalities and administrative districts, not only Scope 1 emissions (emissions caused by energy consumption) but also Scope 3 emissions (other indirect emissions) play a decisive role.
DFGE determined SITA’s carbon footprint by means of its TopDown Approach which determines significant parts of the CO2 balance (“hot spots”), which are then analyzed in detail. In an iterative and recursive process i.e. by repeated calculation rounds, the results get refined more and more. This way, reliable statements which stand up to scientific scrutiny can be generated in a timely manner and with minimal effort.
Also in 2012, SITA Deutschland relied on DFGE for its calculation of the company-wide carbon footprint. Thanks to the previously gained experiences in data collection, the margin of error could further be reduced.
