Carbon Footprint & Emissions Tracking Flashcards
7 cards from real CEA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Carbon Footprint & Emissions Tracking flashcards as text
Which EPA program requires large US facilities emitting 25,000 metric tons or more of CO2e annually to report their greenhouse gas emissions?
Answer: EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP)
The EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), established under 40 CFR Part 98, requires large emitters to report annual GHG emissions to the EPA.
In a lifecycle assessment (LCA), 'cradle-to-gate' analysis covers emissions from:
Answer: Raw material extraction through the point of product manufacturing completion
Cradle-to-gate analysis covers the upstream supply chain from resource extraction through manufacturing, stopping at the factory gate before distribution and use.
What does 'double counting' refer to in Scope 3 emissions reporting?
Answer: When two companies in the same value chain both report the same emission as their own Scope 3
Double counting occurs when the same physical emission appears in the Scope 3 inventories of multiple companies in the same value chain, which is an inherent feature—not an error—of Scope 3 accounting.
Which verification level provides the highest assurance that a company's GHG inventory is accurate and complete?
Answer: Reasonable assurance (audit engagement)
Reasonable assurance (audit-level) engagements provide the highest level of independent verification assurance, requiring more extensive testing than limited assurance reviews.
An energy analyst calculates that a facility's total Scope 1 emissions increased 10% but its revenue grew 25% in the same year. What happened to the facility's carbon intensity?
Answer: Carbon intensity decreased
When revenue grows faster than emissions, emissions per unit of revenue (carbon intensity) declines, even if absolute emissions increase.
Which of the following best describes 'avoided emissions' in carbon footprint analysis?
Answer: GHG reductions that occur outside a company's value chain as a result of its products or services
Avoided emissions represent reductions that occur beyond a company's value chain boundary, such as when a product enables customers to reduce their own emissions.
When tracking fugitive emissions from refrigeration equipment, which data collection method directly measures actual leakage rates?
Answer: Refrigerant purchase and inventory mass balance method
The mass balance method tracks actual refrigerant purchases, inventory changes, and disposals to calculate the quantity of refrigerant that leaked into the atmosphere.