Welcome to the MRS Project Carbon Calculator

Travel

Please note cycling (non-electric) and walking is 0 carbon footprint. To convert miles to km multiply by 1.6 e.g. 10 miles would be 16kms.
Remember to consider your travel for all parts of your project such as, but not limited to, pitch/proposal, setup and design, fieldwork, analysis, reporting and any activation activities.

Accommodation

Remember to consider accommodation for all parts of your project such as, but not limited to, pitch/proposal, setup and design, fieldwork, analysis, reporting and any activation activities.

Fieldwork/methodology

Quant

To calculate your quant survey CO2 emissions (this includes surveys and/or screeners), we need to know which methodology you will use to collect the data. You can also use this to help you with qualitative screener surveys too.

Qual

To calculate your qual CO2 emissions, we need to know which qualitative methodology you will use to collect your findings - please only complete the relevant rows and leave the rest blank. This does not take into account tavel for any recruitment or fieldwork related travel, so please add this seperately into the travel section above. You can then use the recruitment methodology (online, phone or face to face) in the Quant section above. For in home interviews, please just calculate your travel using the travel section.

Top tip - This is based on average emissions if half of people boil only the water they need, and half boil double the water. Considering the water you boil and opting for plant-based milk can make a big difference to the carbon footprint of a cuppa.

Top tip - having video turned off can reduce your carbon footprint in that meeting by 96%, so consider whether a 'video on' approach is necessary/for all people in the IDI/group.

Top tip - consider offering fully plant-based (vegan) catering options as they can, on average, reduce your catering emissions by 10 to 50 times versus animal-based and/or meat catering options.

Logistics

To calculate your qual CO2 emissions, we need to know how many letters (for example paper questionaries or pre-tasks) or parcels (for example containing products to test) you intend to send as part of your project - please only complete the relevant rows and leave the rest blank. Please note if documents or parcels/products were delivered in person (such as at a focus group) then you need only consider your transport, and not an extra delivery footprint here.

AI and online searches (i.e. costed for elements of a project for analysis, secondary research, etc.)

To calculate your CO2 emissions, we need an estimate of how you plan to use AI tools and wider online searching in your project - please only complete the relevant rows and leave the rest blank. Enter the number of minutes you estimate you will use for each (please note, the non-AI route may apply to things like online secondary research, social media research, etc.).

As many normal searches utilise AI suggestions, is some differentiation/ specificity needed? Also seems a daunting number to estimate, perhaps provide an example/average: 'Typically a 1 week project utilises X searches.'

This is your fieldwork sub-total carbon emissions - try experimenting with different fieldwork approaches and elements, to see how much this figure changes.

Total

Pledge Signees Remember to include the MRS Climate Pledge logo in your proposal to further support your sustainability credentials.

Not yet a signee? Further demonstrate your sustainable commitment to clients by becoming a climate pledge signee. For more information on getting signed up: https://www.mrs.org.uk/resources/climate-pledge

If you're a research agency using this calculator to inform options in proposals and tenders, you can use the following information to help explain/sell in your use of this calculator:

For tenders:
We at [AGENCYNAME] are users of the MRS Project Carbon Calculator. This means on a project by project basis we assess the relative carbon footprint of our projects to help us, and you our client, make informed decisions on which research approach to use balancing the right methodological choices with the right choices for our planet.

For proposals:
The figures you see here are the approximate carbon footprint of this projects calculated using the MRS Project Carbon Calculator. These have been included to help us, and you our client, make informed decisions on which research approach to use balancing the right methodological choices with the right choices for our planet.

We see this as the beginning of a great tool, but one that will need ongoing development. As such, please contact the MRS Sustainability Council via mrs.ceo@mrs.org.uk for suggested improvements to this calculator.