atmosfair is a German-based carbon offsetting company which has a fun to use GHG calculator. It doesn’t have the functionality of the paid tools, but it is very good for a simple but quite accurate measurement.
It is most suitable for indoor events held in a single venue, based in Germany, and where the event owns all the GHGs and does not want to distinguish between stakeholder groups.
It has German emissions factors in, but is going through an upgrade which hopes to expand what it measures and also add more emissions factors linked to other event destinations.
mice.atmosfair.de/events | atmosfair.de
| ✅ | TRAINING: as an e-training module on climate change for all users before they start |
| ✅ | HELP: Has FAQs and how to use tool resources, and support/help desk |
| ✅ | USERS: Add a project manager to the event, to allow multiple people to fill it out |
| ✅ | CUSTOM CATEGORIES: You can add additional items if you have the GHG totals |
| ✅ | COMPARE: Has ‘add a scenario’ so you can compare GHG impacts between event scenarios |
| ✅ | DASHBOARD: total GHGs are added up and displayed when ‘save and reload’ |
| ✅ | REPORTING: Produces a graph. Allows you to compare events |
| ✅ | REDUCTIONS: Provides guidance on reductions |
| ✅ | EVENT TYPE: live/hybrid/digital |
| ✅ | ATTENDEES: Origin and number. Who event is aimed at: Local, Regional, National, International |
| ✅ | PARTICIPANTS: Number of participants (people involved with the event) |
| ✅ | STAFF DAYS: Number of organiser work days, supplier upstream and onsite work days. |
| ✅ Energy | ✅ Water | ✅ Waste | ✅ Transport | ❌ MHE & Site Vehicles |
| ❌ Materials | ✅ Food & Beverage | ✅ Travel | ✅ Accommodation | ❌ Digital |
| ✅ | GERMAN: Currently designed for German-based events as has German Emissions factors |
| ✅ | UPDATING: Going through an update to include more than Germany and additional measures |
| ❌ | STAKEHOLDERS: Does not distinguish between crew/staff/participants, versus event attendees |
| ✅ | REPORTING: Produces a graph. Allows you to compare events |
| ✅ | REPORTING: Produces a downloadable PDF |
| ✅ | VENUE: Size and type of venue, including heating type and building age (to use for energy estimates) |
| ✅ | PARTICIPANTS: Number of participants (people involved with the event) |
| ✅ | DATES: Event dates or number of days |
…
| ✅ | ENERGY: Estimated on venue configuration |
| ✅ | ENERGY: Actual kWh usage measurement |
| ✅ | RENEWABLE ENERGY: Asks if this is used |
| ✅ | HEATING: Estimate or actual heating kWh |
| ❌ | ENERGY: Does not allow for fuel use in mobile power generators |
| ❌ | TRAVEL: Does not distinguish between crew/staff/participants, versus event attendees |
| ✅ | TRAVEL: Percentage of people by travel mode, using predefined distance groups, or enter actual distance as a custom entry |
| ✅ | FLIGHTS: Percentage of people, predefined distance group, or actual distance, class of travel |
| ✅ | ACCOMMODATION: Room nights, hotel star rating |
| ❌ | ACCOMMODATION: Does not distinguish between crew/staff/participants, versus event attendees |
| ✅ | TRANSPORT: Number of pallets, weight of pallet, distance transported. |
| ❌ | TRANSPORT: Does not allow choice of mode of transport |
| ❌ | MATERIALS: Not included |
| ✅ | F&B: Number of meals |
| ✅ | F&B: MEAL TYPE: Percentage Vegetarian |
| ❌ | F&B: BEVERAGES: Does not include beverages |
| ✅ | F&B: SUSTAINABILITY: Percentage local or organic |
| ✅ | WASTE: By weight of all waste waste |
| ✅ | WASTE: Does not distinguish between waste material types or processing option (e.g. recycling or composting) |
| ✅ | WATER: Consumption |
| ❌ | WASTE WATER: generated |
| ❌ | MHE: Plant, machinery, equipment |
| ❌ | DIGITAL: Websites, search engine queries, servers, virtual events |
If you want a quick and quite precise measurement, and are based in Germany, the atmosfair tool is terrific. atmosfair uses German emissions factors for hotel nights, public transport, and mains electricity. They are doing a considerable update over the next few months and I’ll include a review on their new features separately.
Venue: Within Venue, is entered Energy, Waste and Water. Waste is not distinguished between material type or end of life/processing.
Energy: This is done within the ‘venue’ master category. It has a complex approach to work out energy consumption estimates, which is helpful for those events with venues that won’t or can’t provide kWh. It asks building type and age, venue size, number of days used, what type of heating, and if renewable energy is used. You can also choose to input actual data (kWh). It doesn’t take into account the use of mobile power generators and the fuel these use.
Travel: The overall approach to travel measurement is to enter the percentage of people that travel by various mode of transport, plus choosing a distance category.
Accommodation: The tool asks for number of nights and people (accounting for more than one person in a room). It also includes the choice of hotel star rating.
