The CO2 emission of each print job calculated on each quotation? Is this viable?

20 June 2022

We will soon have to state the carbon footprint of each print job on quotations and orders. There is no doubt that the European printing industry wants to do its bit to comply with environmental measures, but is there a real demand for this?  At Dataline we believe there is! Pressure to reduce the industry's environmental impact comes not only from European institutions and national governments, it is also coming from the companies themselves and their customers.

As a market leader in bespoke ERP/MIS systems, Dataline was asked to take positive action to measure the effects of the climate on print production. And so MultiPress is prepared to the 'carbon footprint' for each print job to be able to accurately process on quotes and orders.

Green Deal

The European Commission proposed the European Green Deal in December 2019. They did this through a package of measures, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieving a zero-carbon economy by 2050. In addition, in order to put the EU on a balanced path to carbon neutrality by 2050, the Commission agreed in April 2021 to raise the target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from 40% to 55% compared to 1990 levels.

CO₂ emission calculation

As a logical consequence, national governments are also taking increasingly strict measures to curb the emission of greenhouse gases. As everyone knows by now, greenhouse gases cause the greenhouse effect which results in climate change. One of the most important greenhouse gases is CO₂, which is why CO₂ reduction is often considered a priority. It is clear that public awareness about climate change and the associated CO₂ emissions is being addressed, but what are the principles behind the calculation of CO₂ emissions?

The calculation of specific emissions in the graphics sector involves the following elements:

1. Substrates
2. Fuel combustion
3. Production of purchased energy
4. Plates, cylinders and other image carriers
5. Ink, varnish, toners and ink cartridges
6. Consumables (IPA or additives, cleaning agents)
7. Packaging materials
8. Fuel production (upstream)
9. Purchased energy (transmission losses)
10. Transport of the finished product
11. Transport of raw materials
12. The running of commercial vehicles
13. Commuting

Carbon footprint calculations in MultiPress

To find out how well your company is doing in reducing CO₂ emissions, you first have to measure current levels. Dataline therefore integrates a 'carbon footprint' calculation in MultiPress, based on data from ClimateCalc. This makes it possible to add the CO₂ costs to every calculation, and so to every quotation and/or order.

In ClimateCalc, various parameters are entered to calculate a company's carbon footprint. For example, ClimateCalc offers the possibility to compare different paper types and substrates. For example, printing on paper versus plastic, wood or metal.

Certified partnership with Dienstencentrum, SCGM, SCCI

To achieve their goal, Dataline recently started a 'certified partnership' with Dienstencentrum, Foundation Certification GrafiMedia (SCGM) and Foundation Certification Creative Industry (SCCI). The two certification institutes have been appointed by the international consortium ClimateCalc to carry out certification audits. Based on the certified data from ClimateCalc, the values are entered into MultiPress for use in product calculations. Dienstencentrum is an expert in the field of CO₂ calculations in Europe and advises print media companies, specifically in the field of environmental measures. Both institutes provide the know-how for all possible calculations of the CO₂ footprint of print media companies. The methodology used is based on the international Green House Gas Protocol standards and the ISO standards for CO₂ calculations.

Intergraf recognises ClimateCalc as an international reference standard.  Intergraf is the European federation for print and digital communication that promotes and protects the interests of the graphic industry at a European level. This provides the European printing industry with a solid and harmonised tool to assess the carbon footprint of printing and printing processes. ClimateCalc contains a total of 13 main topics that cover no less than 95% of all carbon emissions of a printing process or product.

During the Vakdag 2022 in Nieuwegein, Dataline closed a Certified Partnership with Dienstencentrum. Dirk Deroo, CEO of Dataline with John Koekenbier, Director of Dienstencentrum and Robert Hartman, Business Development Manager and Country Manager Netherlands with Remco Glashouwer, Senior Advisor at Dienstencentrum.

Combination of European regulations and order calculation

The MultiPress system is ideally suited to calculate the CO₂ impact of print work extremely accurately. Each production technique and the associated machine specifications, each raw material such as paper, inks and printing plates, as well as elements such as transport and logistics or packaging materials, can already be configured in MultiPress and quickly calculated. In addition, MultiPress offers the possibility to calculate the actual production time and consumption costs for the complete order. In this way, the highest levels of accurate data can be offered to print buyers.

There are many 'carbon footprint' calculators on the market. However, MultiPress is the only printing-ERP/MIS software that combines European regulations and guidelines with accurate calculations at a quotation and order level, no matter how small or large. This makes MultiPress the system of choice in the modern management of print media companies helping them to make a constructive and active contribution to environmental issues.

Do you want to know more about the 'Carbon footprint' calculation in MultiPress? Make an appointment with one of our experts!