Organization Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions inventory for SFC Solutions according to GHG Protocol and ISO14064-1:2018

This master’s thesis analyses the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for SFC Solutions, in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and ISO 14064-1:2018. SFC Solutions is a group composed of five manufacturing sites in Europe and one in Morocco, and operates in the automotive sector, producing sealing and Fluid Transfer Systems (FTS). SFC Solutions is integrated in an international network composed of companies, distributed over 30 countries. Particularly, GHG inventory activity proposed by this thesis’ work include data from 2024 of three plants located in Cirie (Italy), Borja (Spain) and Pitesti (Romania). The first chapter frames GHG emissions within the historical and political context, with a focus on the main international climate treaties (Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement) and EU initiatives, such as the European Green Deal, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the EU Taxonomy. The chapter also includes a brief explanation of the status of EU automotive sector in relation with the European Green Deal. After the description of the main principles of the reference standards, the study applies them to three company plants (Italy, Spain, Romania), defining organizational and operational boundaries and the methodology used to quantify Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions. Scope 1 categories include direct emissions from stationary and mobile combustion, and direct fugitive emissions from the release of GHGs in anthropogenic systems, such as air-conditioning and cooling systems. Scope 2 emissions take are indirect emissions from purchased electricity. Scope 3, which is the broadest and most impacting Scope, include indirect emissions from: transport of people (employee commuting, business trips, customers and visitors going to the facility), transport of goods (upstream and downstream distribution), purchased goods and services, capital goods and waste disposal. Results show that indirect emissions included in Scope 3, particularly from purchased goods and services, dominate the overall footprint, accounting for more than 80% of total emissions, while direct emissions and purchased electricity play a secondary role. The analysis also includes a qualitative assessment of the uncertainty of emission factors and data. These results set the year 2024 as baseline, used to establish reduction strategies and targets, aligned with SFC Solutions’ carbon neutrality commitment by 2050. The study underlines the importance of GHG inventory activity as both an environmental responsibility and a competitive advantage in the automotive industry.