Carbon footprint calculations in the mining industry and its applications in Turkey

Climate change is the changes in the composition of the global atmosphere as a direct or indirect result of human activities. Greenhouse gases resulting from developing industrialization cause global warming and climate change problems. The main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor (H2O), methane (CH4), diazot uoxide (N2O), hydrofluoride carbons (HFCs), perfluoro carbons (PFCs), sulfurhexa fluoride (SF6), ozone (O3). The relationship between global climate change, which is the most important environmental problem today, and carbon emission emissions is revealed by scientific studies. Corporate carbon footprint is considered as a measure of the damage caused by human activities to the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced and measured in units of carbon dioxide. For carbon footprint calculations, emission sources must first be identified and converted into greenhouse gas emissions, and these emissions, which are determined directly (energy consumption, transportation, etc.) and indirectly (along the supply chain of products and services), are converted into CO2 equivalents per unit and included in the calculation in accordance with the ISO 14064-1 standard. Since climate changes cause greenhouse gas effects, corporate carbon footprint monitoring and evaluation has become more important today in order to measure their effects on our lives, make calculations, detect risks caused by climate change, take precautions and protect them. Within the scope of the study, emission sources and carbon footprint calculations in the mining sector were carried out using a calculation-based methodology under the guidance of GHG Protocol, ISO 14064 and IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) guidelines. According to the results obtained, the most carbon emissions are caused by direct emissions, with 28% (Figure 6.7). In addition, 57% consists of significant indirect emissions and 15% consists of energy indirect emissions.