OUR PROGRESS
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Artisan Partner Performance
ABOUT THIS DATA
Thuli × DVAA works directly with artisans, cooperatives, and small workshops across India and the U.S. Most of our partners don't generate formal carbon reports, so we created this standardized methodology to track energy usage and emissions fairly and accurately.
Each calculation is based on actual electricity bills, official regional emission factors, and transparent allocation percentages. We only count the energy truly used for Thuli production—because many artisans work from home studios, sharing space with family and other activities.
OUR MISSION
THULI and DVAA are a design-led clothing brand rooted in social and environmental responsibility—Founded in 2015 by Prem and Seethai to honor traditional craftsmanship, ensure fair wages, and create sustainable, fashion-forward pieces that connect people, culture, and planet.
Each garment is handcrafted by the skilled artisans of Dvaa, our sister brand in India, where heritage techniques meet dignified work. Together, Thuli and Dvaa form two parts of one story—a cross-continental collaboration built on shared values and a deep respect for people and the planet.
WHY WE BUILT THIS SYSTEM
Most of our artisan partners don't generate formal carbon reports. Electricity bills vary monthly, tariff rates differ by state, and many rely on household meters shared with family or other activities. As part of our B-Corp certification journey, we created this standardized methodology to:
- ✓ Be Fair to Artisans: Calculate emissions only for electricity truly used for Thuli production
- ✓ Ensure Accuracy: Use location-specific rates and emission factors for Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, New Jersey, and beyond
- ✓ Enable Auditing: Every calculation traces to official sources or documented assumptions
- ✓ Maintain Simplicity: Anyone—regardless of technical background—can understand how numbers flow from bills to emissions
REAL VENDOR BILL EXAMPLE
Here's how we extract data from an actual electricity bill (vendor name redacted for privacy):
TNPDCL (Tamil Nadu) Electricity Bill
✓ Data Extracted for Calculation:
- Bill Amount: ₹4,451 (electricity charges only)
- Region: Tamil Nadu, India
- Utility Provider: TANGEDCO
- Emission Factor: 0.757 kg CO₂/kWh
CORE CALCULATION FORMULAS
Every carbon footprint calculation follows these three sequential steps:
Step 1: Calculate Total Energy Consumption
Convert the bill amount to kilowatt-hours (kWh) using the regional electricity rate:
Example: ₹4,451 ÷ ₹9.60/kWh = 463.64 kWh consumed
Step 2: Calculate Allocated Energy
Apply the allocation percentage for vendors working with multiple brands or from shared spaces:
Example: 463.64 kWh × 90% = 417.28 kWh attributed to Thuli
Step 3: Calculate Carbon Emissions
Convert energy usage to carbon emissions using the regional emission factor:
Why divide by 1,000? Emission factors are in kg CO₂, but we report in tonnes CO₂e
COMPLETE WORKED EXAMPLE
Using the actual bill shown above, here's the complete calculation:
Input Values:
- Bill Amount: ₹4,451 INR
- Effective Rate: ₹9.60 per kWh
- Allocation: 90% (workspace used for Thuli)
- Emission Factor: 0.757 kg CO₂/kWh
Step 1: Energy Consumption
Step 2: Allocated Energy
Step 3: Carbon Emissions
REGIONAL REFERENCE VALUES & DATA SOURCES
All calculations use verified, publicly available data from government agencies and recognized emissions databases:
| Region | Rate per kWh | Emission Factor | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu, India | ₹9.60 INR | 0.757 kg CO₂/kWh | Climatiq, TANGEDCO, CEA |
| West Bengal, India | ₹9.00 INR | 0.81 kg CO₂/kWh | WBERC, Climatiq |
| New Jersey, USA | $0.1503 USD | 0.27 kg CO₂/kWh | EPA eGRID |
✅ WHY THESE SOURCES ARE TRUSTED
- CEA (Central Electricity Authority): India's official national authority for carbon emission factors
- Climatiq: Global emissions data platform used by Fortune 500 companies and sustainability auditors
- TANGEDCO & WBERC: State electricity boards with publicly published tariff schedules
- EPA eGRID: United States Environmental Protection Agency's official electricity emissions database
WHAT THIS DATA ENABLES
📈 B-CORP REPORTING
Standardized carbon footprint reporting for corporate sustainability disclosures and B-Corp certification
🌿 ESG TRACKING
Integration with enterprise carbon accounting platforms for comprehensive ESG reporting
⭐ VENDOR PARTNERSHIP
Performance tracking and collaboration with our artisan partners to reduce environmental impact
📌 SUMMARY
This methodology transforms a simple monthly electricity bill into a verified carbon footprint value through three transparent steps. Every calculation uses publicly available, verifiable data from official sources.
No assumptions, no black boxes, no numbers pulled from a hat—just clear, auditable mathematics that anyone can verify and understand.