Honda Is the First Car Company To Disclose All Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. became the first car company to disclose its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which include emissions from its business operations and customer use of its products. The estimates of the company's emissions were calculated according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Honda characterizes the Protocol as the "most widely used international accounting standards to measure GHG emissions."

The Protocol consists of three scopes of emissions categorized by different business activities. Since 2009, Honda has disclosed all Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and disclosed some of its Scope 3 emissions for the first time in June. Honda disclosed part of its Scope 3 emissions on August 27, which means it has now disclosed all its emissions according to the Protocol criteria. Here is a breakdown of each type of emissions category the three scopes deal with, and Honda's reported emissions for each scope:

1. Scope 1 deals with direct emissions from operations owned or controlled by the reporting company. Honda's Scope 1 emissions were 1.24 million tons.


2. Scope 2 deals with indirect emissions from the electricity generated. Honda's Scope 2 emissions were 2.96 million tons.


3. Scope 3 deals with emissions from the customer use of the reporting company's products. Honda's Scope 3 emissions are the largest at 225.06 million tons.

"By calculating and disclosing global GHG emissions as a responsible company engaged in the area of mobility, Honda will continue making proactive progress with its global initiatives to reduce GHG and further extend the Honda LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) approach," Honda said in a statement.

How Honda is reducing its carbon footprint

Honda's North American Environmental Report 2011 details its carbon emissions reductions, which include a 3.7 percent reduction over 2010 for emissions from automobile production. Carbon emissions from powersports product production were reduced 43 percent from 2010, and emissions from power equipment production were reduced 10.6 percent from the previous fiscal year.

The report also details how Honda has reduced its carbon emissions, which includes:

• Using the carriers certified under the EPA's SmartWay Transport program to deliver all Honda and Acura automobiles in 2011


• Replaced 15 of 2010 trucks in its U.S. service parts delivery fleet with SmartWay Transport-certified trucks


• Used Route Tracker technology to reduce carbon emissions from U.S. parts shipments by 813 metric tons


• Reduced carbon emissions from service parts shipments in the U.S. by 2,400 metric tons through improved cube efficiency


• Installed energy-efficient computer servers at its U.S. headquarters

About 86 percent of Honda's carbon emissions "come from the product in-use stage," according to Honda's calculations using its Life Cycle Assessment Data System. Reducing carbon emissions from its products during their use by its customers is the "most important way" for the company to respond to climate change, the report states.

Photo: Flickr user, Honda News