Frequently Asked Questions: Our Carbon Footprint

Please note: these questions pertain to Mercy Corps Climate Change Impact Assessment, which can be viewed or downloaded by clicking here.

Q: What is a carbon footprint?
A: A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of green house gases (GHG) produced by an individual, a family, an organization, business, or even a city or country. Our carbon footprint reflects Mercy Corps' operations and includes a number of measurements which are unique to the activities that we are engaged in. Before we can commit to engaging in environmental activities, it is necessary to acknowledge our own impact so that we can reduce the amount of harmful gasses that are emitted into the atmosphere.

Q: What is Mercy Corps' carbon footprint?
A: During the period from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006, the greenhouse house gases produced from the operational activities of Mercy Corps were equivalent to 10,728 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). The footprint is divided into four sections which include business travel, owned vehicles, premises and deliveries. The emissions from each of these sections are relatively balanced. In the 2005/2006 period, business travel produced 3,527 tons of CO2. Our premises around the world accounted for 3,838 tons of C02 and vehicles accounted for 3,360 tons of C02. Deliveries by road and air accounted for 2 tons of C02.

Q: More specifically, what does Mercy Corps' carbon footprint include?
A: Energy to power our buildings, land-filled and incinerated waste, business travel (including hotels, planes, trains, trucks, cars and motorcycles), local and international deliveries, and refrigerant gas loss from air conditioners were included in our assessment.

Q: What is not included in Mercy Corps' assessment?
A: Emissions associated with emergency operations (such as the delivery and provision of material aid) and emissions associated with other parties (such as partners or donors of the material aid).

Q: How accurate is Mercy Corps' carbon footprint?
A: Where we were unable to access specific information from our offices, the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management conducted an estimation. The uncertainty associated with our emissions estimate was +/- 20 percent. Our aim for future carbon footprint assessments is to not only reduce our emissions, but to create systems that will allow us to record information in a more accessible fashion.

Q: How will Mercy Corps reduce emissions?
A: The carbon footprint was just the first step. We have already switched to renewable energy in both of our headquarters offices which will save a considerable amount of CO2 each year. We have drawn up recommendations that will help us to make cuts in travel and energy usage (such as increasing the amount of tele-conferencing). We are also actively exploring new options such as using recycled cooking oil to fuel our generators and vehicles. Our new U.S. headquarters offices in Portland, Oregon is being built to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. For tips that you might like to follow please see our energy saving tips.

Q: Will Mercy Corps continue to reduce?
A: Yes, we aim to reduce our emissions by five percent each year, and we will conduct an assessment every other year to monitor our progress.

Q: How is the footprint affected as the organization grows?
A: Mercy Corps' carbon footprint is a measurement of the organizations emissions per capita each year. As the organization expands, the footprint will be considered with reference to the number of employees we have.