CO2 calculator for cultural institutions with the latest emission factors

19. February 2024

Climate protection is also playing an increasingly important role in cultural life. Since last year, the state government has been providing culture makers with the right tool in the form of the CO2 culture calculator. This has now been updated with the latest emission factors and can be used immediately. Cultural institutions can use it to calculate their greenhouse gas emissions for the past year 2023. The Popakademie Baden-Württemberg has also taken part.

From 2025 onwards, all state cultural institutions in Baden-Württemberg will be obliged to report in accordance with the standard. A climate protection concept will also be drawn up. This makes Baden-Württemberg a nationwide pioneer in CO2 balancing in the cultural sector.
In the fall, the federal, state and local authorities recommended the CO2 culture standard and the CO2 culture calculator, including instructions for use in the cultural sector. The version with updated emission factors is now available for balancing the year 2023. The emission factors are used to calculate how high the emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases are when certain substances are used, i.e. how many greenhouse gases are produced, for example, when using coolants or refrigerants, when traveling by plane, when burning heating oil or when purchasing electricity according to the German electricity mix.
The CO2 standard and the CO2 cultural calculator based on it for the preparation of CO2 balances in cultural institutions were developed by a group of experts in which the cultural umbrella organizations as well as experts in the field of climate protection and greenhouse gas balancing were represented. The group was made up of representatives from various cultural sectors. Stakeholders from the municipal, state and federal levels were also involved.

The CO2 culture standard and the CO2 culture calculator are available for download from the KMK as well as on the homepage of the MWK.