FAQs¶
Still in development!
What are the objectives of the CO₂ calculator tool?¶
The CO₂ calculator is an open-source tool that serves the following purposes:
- To provide a simple approach to identifying the main sources of emissions related to laboratory activities and visualising the impact of different emission sources
- Understand the carbon footprint profile by type of laboratory
- To simulate the carbon footprint of a specific module (new purchases, future professional travel, equipment energy consumption, etc.) or of a current or future research project
- To provide a decision-making tool to help implement targeted measures aimed at reducing the carbon footprint
- Meet future European and national requirements regarding the assessment of the environmental impact of research projects.
Can I use this tool if I am not part of EPFL?¶
The tool is built as open-source software on Github. It can therefore be used by other public bodies, although certain emission factors will need to be adapted for each organisation.
How can I access the tool?¶
The tool is accessible via this link: https://co2-calculator.epfl.ch/ and also via the tile on the EPFL HR Management Portal.
I can’t log in, what should I do?¶
If you encounter any issues logging in to the tool, you can create a ticket via …
I can’t access certain modules; is this normal?¶
Yes, in the CO₂calculator tool, two roles are assigned to users:
- Unit Manager: The person in charge of the unit is the only one with full access to the tool. They can view their entire unit and have access to all modules. The person in charge of the unit explicitly grants access rights to staff within their unit. They may delegate the Main User role to one or more people.
- User: For data entry, the remaining members of the unit may only have access to the External Cloud and AI and Professional Travel modules and can only view their own air and/or rail travel. These users will also be able to view the unit’s results in aggregated form.
I would like to edit a module; how do I do this?¶
You must ensure you click on ‘Edit module’ to modify a module.
If you are assigned the role of Main User, you have access to all modules. The following modules can be modified:
- Headcount
- Process Emissions
- Buildings
- Equipment
- External Clouds and AI
- Professional travel
- Purchases
The EPFL research facilities module can only be viewed and validated. If you notice any significant errors in the data reported and calculated in the tool for your unit, please contact the Sustainability team (co2calculator@epfl.ch).
If you have been assigned the role of Standard User, you only have access to the External Clouds and AI and Professional Travel modules. These modules can be edited by Standard Users.
When I access certain modules, they are already filled in – why is that?¶
The CO₂ calculator tool is designed to be as user-friendly as possible for internal EPFL users. Thanks to extensive internal collaboration, units do not need to enter their data manually as it is automatically fed into the back-office interface by professional managers.
Only certain modules, such as Staff, Process Emissions, External Clouds and AI, and Professional Travel, require user input.
Can I make changes to fields that have already been filled in?¶
Yes, you can edit fields that have already been filled in using the following options:
- Upload a CSV file instead
- Delete the row and replace it by adding new data
All fields in all modules can be edited, except for the EPFL Research Infrastructure module. If you notice an error, you can add a note to each data row.
How is data protection handled?¶
Headcount module¶
Process emissions module¶
Buildings module¶
Equipment module¶
External Clouds and IA module¶
Purchases module¶
Professional travel module¶
EPFL Research facilities module¶
What are the levels of uncertainty?¶
- The overall uncertainty levels are documented in the Methodology tab in the subsection 6. Limitations.
- The uncertainty levels by module can be found in subsection 5. Limitations.
What methodology is used for the different modules?¶
To ensure complete transparency, the methodology for each module is listed in the Module Specifications tab.