Chalmers Conferences, LCM 2013

STREAMLINED CARBON FOOTPRINT COMPUTATION –– A CASE STUDY IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY
Yin Jin Lee, Edgar Blanco

Last modified: 2014-09-11

Abstract


Using streamlined iterative carbon footprint calculation with uncertainty
analysis, we developed a methodology to quickly estimate the carbon
footprint of prepared meals. We used the methodology to calculate the
carbon footprint of a dish that included 105 inputs from cradle to grave. We
were able to quantify the uncertainty of data quality, data gap and cut-off
error. We also used hypothetically true carbon footprints to validate the
accuracy of the result. It was observed that the total carbon footprint
estimate and its uncertainty converged when only the top 33 out of 105
inputs were updated. The method affirms that using cut-off strategies is a
legitimate approach to reduce data collection effort while maintaining the
integrity of carbon footprint estimates.

Keywords


carbon footprint calculation; uncertainty analysis; data gap; cut-off error

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