Bilan Carbone® (or carbon balance) is a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions assessment tool developed by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME). It can be used to account for the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of all types of organisations: industrial or tertiary companies, administrations or local authorities. This method is compatible with the ISO 14064 standard, the GHG Protocol initiative and the terms of the Directive 2003/87/CE relating to the EU Emission Trading System (ETS).

The method enables basically:
  • assessing the direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
  • estimating the importance of fossil fuels in the energy consumption,
  • modifying the strategy of a company, an authority or a territory so as to transform it progressively in a low carbon emitter.

 Bilan Carbone® can be used for:
  • Industrial or tertiary activities,
  • Local authorities to assess:
    • either the authority's operating emissions for its own emissions,
    • or the emissions of all activities (industry, tertiary, residential, agriculture, transport) that have a stake in the local authority's territory.

In terms of GHG emissions, Bilan Carbone® includes especially:
  • the greenhouse gas emissions produced directly by the own activities,
  • or those generated indirectly from:
    • the electricity or steam purchased from external sources,
    • the transportation of raw materials from suppliers and manufactured products to clients,
    • the transport of employees and customers,
    • the construction of the buildings used for the company or the administration,
    • the manufacture of the raw materials used by the own activity,
    • the end of life of the waste produced.

Following the estimation of the actual GHG emissions, Bilan Carbone® provides tools for:
  • companies and administrations
    • to launch a GHG emission reduction action plan. As greenhouse gases are mainly due to the use of fossil fuels, any reduction will have a positive impact on the heating, transport and other costs,
    • to include a reduction objective in an environmental management system (including ISO or EMAS),
    • to publish the amount of GHG emissions on a voluntarily basis (e.g. in an environmental report) or as part of obligations or commitments concerning the activity (e.g. national sustainable development strategy for administrations)
    • to modify on a long term the production processes and the strategy of the company.
  • local authorities:
    • to launch a GHG emission reduction action plan as part of a Territorial Energy Climate Plan


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