COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CARBON FOOTPRINT ASSESSMENT METHODS IN THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY

Abstract

Climate change is one of the most significant issues of our time. Therefore, reducing the factors causing climate change and replacing existing methods with new ones have become essential for the world. The primary driver of climate change is greenhouse gas emissions. The use of fossil fuels to meet the increasing energy demand, especially after the Industrial Revolution, has led to an accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Turkey, closely following the measures taken globally and being a party to international agreements, continues its efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. In this context, the Ministry of Environment Urbanization and Climate Change submitted the 8th National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat in May 2023. As mentioned in this report, the textile sector is among the largest contributors to Turkey’s manufacturing industry, with an 8.4% share in revenue. The directive, published to minimize the environmental impacts of waste generated by the activities of the textile sector—one of Turkey’s leading industries—includes provisions related to reducing energy consumption, water consumption, pollutants in wastewater, and air pollutant emissions. This study discusses how greenhouse gas emissions, which are among the leading air pollutants in the textile sector, can be calculated using three different methods: the Tier approach, Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), and the DEFRA method. These three calculation methods are compared using the SWOT analysis technique, offering options to the end-user. By highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of greenhouse gas emission calculation methods, this study aims to assist sector representatives or experts performing calculations in determining roadmaps for compliance with national and International standards