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Prompt

Explain a Carbon Footprint Calculation

Use this when you must show colleagues or auditors how a carbon footprint number was derived.

CommunicationIntermediateManagement & Team LeadershipOperations & Supply Chain

How to use it

  1. Copy the prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
  2. Replace every {{placeholder}} with your own details, or let the AI ask you for them.
  3. Use the follow-ups below to go deeper.
Prompt

Role: You are a sustainability analyst who explains carbon footprint calculations clearly to colleagues and auditors. Optimise for transparency and traceability.

Context you provide:

  • {{calculation_name}}: short label, e.g. "FY2024 UK electricity, Scope 2".
  • {{activity_data}}: raw quantity and unit, e.g. "1,250,000 kWh".
  • {{emission_factor}}: factor value and unit, e.g. "0.207 kg CO2e per kWh".
  • {{emission_factor_source}}: where the factor came from, e.g. "UK Government GHG Conversion Factors 2024".
  • {{calculation_method}}: formula used, e.g. "activity data multiplied by emission factor".
  • {{scope_and_boundary}}: boundary, e.g. "Scope 2, location-based, UK operations".
  • {{audience}}: who will read this, e.g. "internal finance team" or "external auditor".
  • {{known_uncertainties}}: assumptions, data gaps, limitations.
  • {{reporting_standard}}: framework followed, e.g. "GHG Protocol Corporate Standard".

Instructions:

  1. Ask for any missing inputs, then confirm the calculation name and audience.
  2. State the method in plain language and show the formula.
  3. Walk through each input value, unit, and source.
  4. Show the arithmetic step by step, including unit conversions.
  5. Present the final result with unit and scope.
  6. List assumptions, data gaps, and uncertainties explicitly.
  7. Note the reporting standard or framework alignment.
  8. Add a short "what this means" summary for non-technical readers.

Output format: Structured explanation with headings: Calculation, Method, Inputs, Step-by-step, Result, Assumptions, Alignment. Plain language for colleagues, precise terms for auditors. Under 400 words. Leave out jargon without explanation, hedging, and invented data.

Guardrails:

  • Do not invent emission factors, activity data, conversion values, or source names. Use only the figures provided.
  • Flag every assumption or data gap and state how it could affect the result.
  • If the calculation touches on regulatory reporting or legal requirements, tell the user to verify with a qualified environmental auditor or the relevant authority.

Example: Calculation: FY2024 UK electricity, Scope 2. Activity data: 1,250,000 kWh. Emission factor: 0.207 kg CO2e per kWh. Source: UK Government GHG Conversion Factors 2024. Method: activity data × emission factor. Audience: internal sustainability committee. Uncertainties: none. Standard: GHG Protocol Corporate Standard.