1. Energy usage and CO2 emissions
of e-Invoicing
Study for Ministry of Economic Affairs
Paula
Name van Hoorik, Senior Consultant, TNO

2. E-Invoicing:
Initiative from Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs
• Goal e-invoicing: all invoices to Dutch government digital
Will digital invoicing indeed save energy and CO2?
• A comprehensive study to compare 100% paper invoicing to
100% e-invoicing
2 Energy usage and CO2 emissions of e-Invoicing – Paula van Hoorik 3-6-2010

3. Conclusion: E-invoicing saves energy and CO2
• Method: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
A method to quantify environmental impacts, focussing on three
phases of every physical product: production, use and discard
• Analyses of ‘paper invoicing” and “digital invoicing’ show that:
• paper invoicing uses almost twice as much energy
• paper invoicing has 1.5 times more CO2 emissions
• Which aspects do create these savings?
3 Energy usage and CO2 emissions of e-Invoicing – Paula van Hoorik 3-6-2010

4. 10 million digital invoices (B2G) will save 3 TJ of energy
equivalent of gas use of 55 Dutch households
Energy (GJ)
(10,000,000 invoices)
7000
6000
5000
Energy (GJ)
4000 Transport
Electronics
3000 Paper
2000
1000
0
Paper Digital
4 Energy usage and CO2 emissions of e-Invoicing – Paula van Hoorik 3-6-2010

5. 10 million digital invoices (B2G) will save almost 200
tonnes of CO2 CO2 emissions of 20 Dutch residents.
Global Warming Potential (CO2)
(10,000,000 invoices)
600
500
400
Transport
ton CO2
300 Electronics
Paper
200
100
0
Paper Digital
5 Energy usage and CO2 emissions of e-Invoicing – Paula van Hoorik 3-6-2010

6. Different work processes….
6 Energy usage and CO2 emissions of e-Invoicing – Paula van Hoorik 3-6-2010

7. … different outcomes
7 Energy usage and CO2 emissions of e-Invoicing – Paula van Hoorik 3-6-2010

8. Extrapolation to all invoices in the Netherlands
• The total annual volume of invoices: 3500 milion
• Assuming e-invoicing has similar savings for all invoicing types
Switching to digital invoicing for all invoices
• saves 1 PJ gas usage of 20,000 Dutch households
• saves 70 ktons CO2 CO2 emissions of 700 Dutch residents
Automatic payments and digital approval processes would
decrease the energy use and CO2 emissions by two-thirds!
8 Energy usage and CO2 emissions of e-Invoicing – Paula van Hoorik 3-6-2010

9. • Report in Dutch with English summary:
Energie- en CO2-besparing door elektronisch factureren
• Authors:
Paula van Hoorik, Toon van Harmelen, Marieke Head, Pieter Meulenhoff
TNO
• Report number: 35175
• Website:
http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/energiebesparing/documenten-en-publicaties
9 Energy usage and CO2 emissions of e-Invoicing – Paula van Hoorik 3-6-2010

10. Paula van Hoorik, MSc
Senior consultant
TNO Information and
Communication Technology
Brassersplein 2
Postal code 5050
2600 GB Delft
The Netherlands
T: +31(0)15 285 7139
M: +31(0)65 142 9415
W: www.tno.nl
paula.vanhoorik@tno.nl
10 Energy usage and CO2 emissions of e-Invoicing – Paula van Hoorik 3-6-2010