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What is a carbon handprint? Calculating the carbon footprint is a mainstay in most industries – but what about the carbon handprint?
Sami Anteroinen, photos: Metsä Group
A s a concept, the carbon handprint has been around for a while now, having been launched to greater public aware- ness by UNESCO back in 2007. In Finland, the “handprint evolution” has been spearheaded by VTT, the Technical Research Centre of Finland. But what is it exactly? Tiina Pajula was part of the original VTT team that came up with the carbon handprint metrics. Currently working at the consulting agency AFRY, Pajula recalls that the project attracted attention from Finnish companies quite quickly. “We knew that products could have a positive climate impact, but there was no way to measure and communicate it accurately. However, companies were eager to quantify the climate benefits,” she looks back. But how do you measure the positive climate impacts of a prod- uct or service? Well, in essence, a company must offer products and services that allow its customers to reduce their carbon footprint. By substituting a product with a high carbon footprint with a product that has a lower carbon footprint, the carbon handprint is created. Calculating the carbon handprint is a well-defined method that will get you a clear result. The bigger the carbon handprint, the better. Maximising the positive climate impact Maija Pohjakallio , Vice President, Climate and Circular Econ- omy, at Metsä Group says that quantifying the positive climate im- pact of a product is a very welcome idea.
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