Incorporating the carbon footprint to measure industry context and energy consumption effect on environmental performance of business operations

Three scopes of carbon footprint have become the most suitable methods to measure green house gas (GHG) emissions from business operating activities. Carbon footprint information can enable firms to effectively improve their environmental performance. This paper attempts to develop an approach that incorporates the three scopes of carbon footprint into a data envelopment analysis model to evaluate environmental performance. A research sample is used from top Fortune 500 companies participating in the carbon disclosure project. The results provide empirical evidence that adjustment of the current fossil fuel-based energy structure significantly affects electricity indirect GHG emissions. The results also show that there are significant differences in environmental performance between industries. Governments should focus on designing improved policies and regulations for each separate industry, especially the materials industry.