Digitization and Avoided Emissions. A Case Study of Product Information at SEMCON

Abstract

The environmental threat of our time puts pressure on all areas to reduce the climate impact.The Paris Agreement set by the United Nations has set an aspiring goal of limiting the global warming by 1.5 (United Nations, 2021). This goal has started the work towards developing ac counting standards for greenhouse gas emissions. The latest accounting framework presented by the organisation GHG Protocol is the calculation of avoided emissions. The framework aims to be able to measure the effects of companies emission reducing activities. This thesis examines how the digitization of product information can reduce a company’s CO2 footprint. The examination will be carried through as a case study of digitization projects implemented by the company Semcon. The thesis purpose is to create an initial understanding how calculations can be carried through and what environmental effects digitization can have. It also aims to inspire further investigation within the area. Information about the cases was collected through qualitative interviews with people involved in the cases at hand. This information was then compared to established calculating methods, identifying both carbon saving mechanisms and primary avoided emissions. The main findings was the understanding of the complications of the difference in the cases. Every specific case required a substantial amount of collected data, both regarding before and after the implementation of digitization. Results showed that digitization of product information reduced the emissions of greenhouse gases in both cases, to a limited extent.