Welcome to the IFC's Forest Industry Carbon Assessment Tool (FICAT).

what is FICAT?

FICAT is a tool for calculating carbon footprints of the effects of forest-based manufacturing activities on carbon and greenhouse gases along the value chain.


FICAT is a Windows application using Microsoft's SQL Express database software, which Microsoft distributes for free.

who may use FICAT?

This tool is open to the public and avaiable for download now.

FICAT features

  • FICAT is based on methods from the IPCC and the WRI/WBCSD GHG Protocol and is available to the public without charge.
  • FICAT enables characterization of the overall lifecycle greenhouse gas impact (not just CO2) of forest product industry manufacturing facilities or companies.
  • Footprints developed using FICAT include consideration of manufacturing emissions, carbon storage impacts, upstream emissions, and end of life effects.


FICAT news

June 10, 2011

FICAT Update, Survey and Training Webinars

  • Several small bugs in FICAT Beta Version 1.3 have been identified and corrected. A new version (Version 1.3.1.1) is now on the website (www.FICATmodel.org) and available for download under the link labeled "Installation Package (May 2011)". We encourage you to uninstall the version of FICAT you are now using, and to download and install the newest version.
  • We would appreciate your completing a very brief online survey about your experience with FICAT, to help us better understand how it is being used. Go to survey.
  • You are invited to attend one-hour FICAT training sessions over the Internet. There will be three identical sessions and you may join any or all of them. The first 20 minutes of each will focus on the new features of FICAT Version 1.3 Beta, and the remaining time will be used to give demonstrations and to answer questions. The Web-based training will be held at the times listed below. Download instructions for webcast participation.
    1. June 21, 12:00 (noon) Coordinated Universal Time (abbreviated UTC): same as
      New York: 08:00, June 21
      Jakarta: 19:00 June 21
      Sao Paulo: 09:00, June 21
      Johannesburg: 14:00, June 21
    2. June 22, 03:00 UTC: same as
      New York: 23:00, June 21
      Jakarta: 10:00 June 22
      Sao Paulo: 24:00, midnight, June 21-22
      Johannesburg: 05:00, June 22
    3. June 23, 14:00 UTC: same as
      New York: 10:00, June 23
      Jakarta: 21:00, June 23
      Sao Paulo: 11:00, June 23
      Johannesburg: 16:00, June 23

June 7, 2011

FICAT has been used in a new study: The Carbon Footprint of an East African Forestry Enterprise
To see the report, click the link below.

The Carbon Footprint of an East African Forestry Enterprise | Parigiani, Desai, Mariki, Miner

www.ccsenet.org

May 25, 2011

FICAT Version 1.3-Beta Now Available!
Enhancements include;

  • A choice of cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-gate assessment boundaries
  • A choice of methods to estimate the benefits of carbon stored in products (including the 100-year weighted average used in PAS2050)
  • The ability to develop site-specific emission factors for wood production based on site-specific information on forestry activities
  • The ability to use detailed information on the inputs to manufacturing to develop product-specific emission factors for any product
  • Updated emission factors for transport, based on the latest information from the GHG Protocol Calculation Tool for transport (including factors for personal transport)
  • The ability to export summary data into a form that can be imported into spreadsheet software
  • The ability to produce PDF files of only the summary page (no need to produce the entire report)
  • Improved file structure for opening/saving/creating files

FICAT introduction

Click here to learn more about FICAT



IFC doc                  IFC doc